German sign language

21/10/2011

Definition
Is the sign language of the Deaf Community in Germany. The language has evolved through use in deaf communities over hundreds of years. Germany has a strong oralisttradition and historically has seen a suppression of sign language.

(DGS)

History
German Sign Language was first legally recognised in The Federal Disability Equality Act (2002) in May 2002. Sincethen, deaf people have a legal entitlement to Sign Language interpreters when communicating with federal authorities, free of charge.

German and DGS
The two have very different grammars, though as thedominant language of the region, German has had some influence on German Sign Language. A signed system that represents the German language has been developed, which is known as "Signed German"German and DGS
It is rarely used as a natural means of communication between deaf people. Another system of manually representing German is cued speech, known as "Phonembestimmes Manualsystem"(Phonemic Manual System).

Manual alphabet and fingerspelling
German Sign Language uses a one-handed manual alphabet ('Fingeralphabet' in German) derived from the French manual alphabet of the 18thcentury; it is related to manual alphabets used across Europe and in North America

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Dialects and related languages

Manual alphabet and fingerspelling

•Regional variants of GermanSign Language include Hamburg, Berlin, and Munich sign.

Notation systems
Everyday users of German Sign Language use no written form of the language. In academic contexts, German Sign Language isusually described with the Hamburg notation system or HamNoSys. Sign Writing also has its adherents in Germany

Grammar
Signs are made up of a combination of different elements from each of theclasses of distinctive features:
Handshape Hand orientation Location Movement.

Grammar
If one of these elements is changed, it can result in a sign with a completely different meaning. Two signs...