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Discover the captivating history of sign language, from its ancient origins to its development into a fully recognized language and part of deaf culture.
Introduction
Hands waving, fingers fluttering, bodies moving with purpose. To the uninitiated, sign language can seem like a cryptic dance. But for the Deaf community, it's a rich and nuanced language that has evolved over centuries of use. Tracing the origins and development of sign language reveals a fascinating story intertwined with human culture and societal attitudes toward the Deaf.
This living language has been shaped by the tireless work of educators, advocates, and Deaf communities themselves. From monasteries to Martha's Vineyard, sign language reflects both the isolation and solidarity of Deaf people through time. Today, it thrives as a pillar of identity and communication for Deaf cultures across the globe.
Early Origins
Sign language likely existed long before recorded history. Cave paintings and pictorial symbols used by ancient peoples suggest they communicated manually. Most experts agree that sign language originated when people born deaf converged and began using gestures to interact. The first concrete evidence dates back to fifth century BC Greece. Socrates refers to "deaf signs" in his writings, indicating the presence of a sign language system.
In his seminal work De Anima, Aristotle mentioned an ability to create signs and use gestures that the deaf are able to communicate. The existence of deaf signing communities has also been documented in England, France, and Spain as far back as the Middle Ages. From these scattered references, we can deduce that sign language developed organically wherever deafness was present.
Sign in the Monasteries
Some of the earliest European records of sign language come from monastic communities in the Middle Ages. Monks observed a vow of silence, so sign language became a natural mode of communication. When deaf monks joined these communities, their signing enriched the monks' gestural vocabulary. The Benedictine monastery at Melk Abbey in Austria was an important site of sign language development, producing a manuscript called Monasteriales Indicia in the 15th century.
This codex includes signs, finger alphabets, and descriptions of highly advanced signing within the monastery. Signing also flourished among religious communities in Spain, bolstered by a high proportion of deaf members due to consanguineous marriage practices. Today, this rich signing tradition lives on in monasteries following the Cistercian order.
Sign Language Going Mainstream
In the 17th and 18th centuries, educators began using sign language to teach deaf students. Pioneers like Juan Pablo Bonet, Roch-Ambroise Cucurron Sicard, and Thomas Braidwood ran schools for the deaf, systematizing signs for use in instruction. Sicard in particular was influential, publishing the first French sign language dictionary in 1776.
Educators found sign language effective for conveying both abstract and concrete concepts. Standardizing signs laid the groundwork for sign language structure, creating a bridge between isolated signing communities. With this dictionary, sign began to be viewed as a real language rather than pantomime.
The Rise of American Sign Language
In 1817, the American Asylum for the Deaf opened in Hartford, Connecticut. It was the first permanent school for the deaf in the United States. Under its first director Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, the school adopted a sign language brought from France by Laurent Clerc, a deaf teacher. This visual language quickly spread as deaf students mastered it and took it home.
Regional accents soon developed among deaf communities in cities like New York and Philadelphia. ultimately, this signed communication coalesced into what we now know as American Sign Language (ASL). Gallaudet and Clerc are considered the fathers of ASL, which has become a fully-fledged natural language at the core of American deaf culture.
The Banning of Sign Language in the 1880's
In the late 19th century, attitudes toward sign language and deaf education took a regressive turn, leading to sign language being banned from many schools starting in the 1880s. This draconian policy arose from the philosophy of oralism, which held that teaching the deaf should focus solely on developing speech and speechreading.
Advocates of oralism dismissed sign language as an inferior gestural system that would inhibit deaf students' ability to learn spoken language. They aimed to integrate deaf children into hearing society by training them to communicate in the mainstream mode of verbal language. Supporters believed banning sign language would force deaf students to practice oral speech.
Behind this oralist curriculum was also a belief that sign language was crude and uncivilized compared to refined spoken language. Hearing educators aimed to elevate deaf students by teaching verbal communication they deemed more intellectually advanced. Sign language was viewed as a barrier to proper language development rather than a full-fledged natural language in its own right.
Tragically, oralist methods proved largely ineffective for deaf students. Deprived of sign language, their education suffered as they struggled fruitlessly to grasp spoken lessons. Yet banning signing became commonplace at deaf schools across Europe and North America. Teachers often punished students for signing by using corporal punishment or humiliation. This enforcement caused generational language loss in deaf communities, severely disrupting their linguistic and cultural continuity.
While oralists had benign goals of helping deaf students adapt, their dismissive view of sign language was misguided. Only later in the 20th century was research able to prove sign language's legitimacy as a complete natural language. The misguided oralist movement provided a heartbreaking example of how language ideologies can do real harm to marginalized communities. The 1880s marked a low point in society's treatment of sign language that took a century of advocacy to reverse.
Oralism and the Suppression of Sign
However, attitudes toward sign language soon took a negative turn. In the late 19th century, the practice of oralism arose, based on a philosophy that deaf individuals should learn to communicate through speechreading and speaking. Proponents viewed sign language as primitive and uncivilized. As a result, many deaf schools banned signing, punishing students who used it. This led to a decline in sign language fluency.
However, many deaf communities continued using ASL in secrecy to preserve their cultural and linguistic identity. The suppression of sign language continued well into the 20th century. Only in the 1960s did academics begin arguing for ASL as a legitimate language. Research proving signing and speech activate different brain pathways debunked oralist assumptions.
The Recognition of Sign Languages
ASL linguistics became a serious field of study, with William Stokoe's 1960 book Sign Language Structure recognized as a seminal work. In the 1980s and 1990s, neuroscience studies demonstrated that signers process language in the same regions as speakers. Advocacy by deaf leaders led to legal recognition of sign languages. Linguists also documented sign languages developing creolization among isolated deaf populations, such as Old Kentish Sign Language on England's Isle of Thanet.
Today, most developed nations officially recognize their local sign language. Many Deaf communities also work to preserve village sign languages unique to their region. Increased visibility and acceptance of Deaf culture has elevated the status of sign languages worldwide.
Signing in the 21st Century
From monastic origins to an indispensable component of deaf communication, sign languages have truly come into their own. They are complex, living languages that grow and evolve just like spoken tongues. Today, sign language enjoys unprecedented visibility and acceptance.
It is taught as a foreign language in many schools. Gaining sign fluency is seen as culturally enriching. Interpretation makes sign accessible at mainstream events. And sign languages continue developing new signs to describe an ever-changing world.
The story of sign language is one of struggle, rejection, and ultimate validation. Thriving Deaf communities owe immense gratitude to the advocates who fostered understanding and advanced the status of their native languages. Going forward, sign languages promise to remain integral to human diversity by empowering visual communication across cultures.
The Origins of Written Sign Language and Its Uses Today
While sign languages were communicated for centuries using only hand signs, gestures, and facial expressions, the need eventually arose for a written form as well. One of the first was Stokoe Notation, developed by linguist William Stokoe in 1960 to document American Sign Language. This pioneering academic notation used abstract symbols to record individual signs, morphemes, hand shapes, locations, and movements. However, it proved difficult for everyday ASL users to read and write.
Since then, alternative transcription systems have been developed to make written sign language more accessible. The Hamburg Notation System and Sign Writing are two popular methods used today. They use visual symbols and icons that resemble the actual hand shapes and signing motions. Sign Writing looks almost like a dance choreography diagram or music notation. These writing systems keep sign languages alive for deaf communities in a portable, sharable format.
Written sign language is not yet as universal as the International Phonetic Alphabet is for spoken languages. Each country tends to have its own dominant notation method tied to the local sign language. Some are used more internationally, like Sign Writing which has been adapted for many national sign languages. There are also efforts to develop a universal International Sign Language Alphabet (ISLA). However, lack of standardization remains an obstacle.
While not universally adopted, these transcription methods are invaluable for sign language linguistics. They allow researchers to record, and study signed conversations as one would a spoken language corpus. Written sign is also essential for sign language education, enabling textbooks, teaching aides, dictionaries, and other instructional materials. For learners not fully conversant in sign, it serves as an important visual reference.
Outside academics and education, writing is used in sign language poetry, storytelling, theater, and other creative arts. It preserves cultural artifacts like folklore. And it enables signers to communicate casually through written notes and social media. Just as with spoken languages, a written mode empowers sign language use in daily life.
FAQs:
When did people start using sign language?
Great question! The origins of sign language are lost to history, but there's evidence it was used in ancient Greece, Rome, and monasteries in the Middle Ages. It likely developed organically wherever deaf people came together.
Who invented American Sign Language?
Good one! ASL traces back to Laurent Clerc, a deaf teacher who brought French Sign Language to the US in 1817. He co-founded the first deaf school with Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, combining French signs with local signs, creating what became ASL.
Is sign language the same everywhere?
Nope! Just like spoken languages, sign languages are unique to each region and country. ASL, British Sign Language, Auslan in Australia, and French Sign Language are all distinct natural languages.
When did schools start teaching sign language?
In the late 18th century, educators like Abbe de l'Epee pioneered using sign to teach deaf students. This led to the first sign language dictionaries. Horrifically, many schools later banned sign language in favor of oralist methods.
Is sign language really a full-fledged language?
Absolutely! Linguistic research has proven sign languages have all the features of spoken languages - vocabulary, grammar, syntax, regional dialects, etc. Scientists also found deaf signers use the same language regions of the brain.
How many sign languages exist in the world?
There are around 144 documented sign languages worldwide, though many village sign languages still lack official recognition. The four most used are ASL, BSL, Auslan, and Chinese Sign Language.
Why is sign language important for Deaf culture?
Excellent question! For many Deaf people, sign language is their main mode of communication and a source of cultural identity and pride. Suppressing sign languages in schools harmed Deaf communities. Preserving sign language promotes their empowerment.
Conclusion
The story of sign language is one of struggle and redemption - from suppressed "gestures" to fully validated languages that serve as pillars of Deaf culture globally. Understanding sign language's rich history provides lessons in patience, advocacy, and respect that benefit both hearing and Deaf communities. Our world is made more whole when all people are empowered to communicate freely in their heart languages.
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