| Also Known As: Lsf,Fsl,Langue des Signes Française
Description:
French Sign Language (langue des signes française or LSF) is the sign language of the deaf in the nation of France. According to Ethnologue, it has 50,000 to 100,000 native signers.
French Sign Language is related to Dutch Sign Language (NGT), German Sign Language (DGS), Flemish Sign Language (VGT), Belgian-French Sign Language (LSFB) Irish Sign Language (ISL), American Sign Language (ASL), and Quebec Sign Language (LSQ).
French Sign Language is frequently, though mistakenly, attributed to the work of Charles Michel de l'Épée (l'abbé de l'Épée). In fact, he is said to have discovered the already existing language by total accident; having ducked into a nearby house to escape the rain, he fell upon a pair of twin sisters, deaf, and was struck by the richness and complexity of the language that they used to communicate among themselves and the deaf Parisian community. The abbé set himself to learning the language, now known as Old French Sign Language, and eventually he established a free school for the deaf. At this school, he developed a system he called "methodical signs", to teach his students how to read and write. The abbé was eventually able to make public demonstrations (1771..... full article at Wikipedia |
