Greek Sign Language

Sign language of the Greek deaf community

Greek Sign Language

Ελληνική νοηματική γλώσσα
Native to| Greece
Cyprus

Native speakers

| Estimates run from 6,000 to 60,000 (2014)[1]
Differences may reflect degree of fluency.

Language family

French Sign

* LSF–ASL mix
* Greek Sign Language

Language codes
ISO 639-3| `gss`
Glottolog| `gree1271`

Greek Sign Language (Greek: Ελληνική νοηματική γλώσσα, romanized: Ellinikí noimatikí glóssa, ENG) is a sign language used by the Greek deaf community.

Greek Sign has been legally recognized as the official language area of the Deaf community for educational purposes in Greece since 2000. The Greek Sign Language is estimated to be used by some 40,600 people.

On December 19, 2013, the OMKE (Greek Federation of the Deaf) presented the Declaration on the Constitutional Recognition of the Greek Sign Language.

## Historical evolution

[edit]

The Greek Sign Language is recognized as the first language of deaf and hard of hearing students by law 2817/2000. Since 2000, according to the aforementioned law, as well as 3699/2008, knowledge of the Greek Sign Language is a mandatory qualification for the recruitment of new professionals in the education of deaf students. By Law 4488/2017 (Article 65 (2)). The Greek Sign Language is recognized as equal to the Greek language. In addition, the law stipulates that the state is taking measures to promote it and to cover all the communication needs of the deaf and hard of hearing citizens.

## Use of language

[edit]

The Greek Sign Language is not international. Each country develops its own sign language with fundamentally different meanings and a different alphabet. There are both common features and differences at a morphological level. Nevertheless, the Deaf of different states can communicate comfortably through the International Sign, which is essentially a code that serves the simple daily communication needs. As is the case with the spoken languages, dialects exist in each country.

Although there is no official data, users of the Greek Sign Language in Greece are estimated at 40,600, with a rapid upward trend due to interest in learning the language by hearing people. The increase in its distribution is due to its official policy, as well as the broadcasting of news and meetings of the Greek Parliament by Greek television by interpretators.

The educational material that exists in the Greek Sign Language is limited. Since 2010 there has been a steady increase in the production of accessible educational material in electronic and printed form for deaf students.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Greek Sign Language at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

* The Lucky Documentary by Lucia Rikaki "The Words of Silence" in ERT for the Greek sign language.
* Lambropoulou , B. (1997-1999). 1st training package: Society and the Deaf. Community and Deaf Culture.
* Lambropoulou, B. (1997-1999). Education and deaf child. 3rd educational training package, teacher training. deaf and hearing impaired.
* The History of the Deaf
* Department of Education and Training of the Pedagogical Institute
* Digital History Store in the Greek Sign Language Archived 2015-09-27 at the Wayback Machine

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Curbetis B., Markakis, E. & Steinhauer, G. (1999).  The Greek Sign Language and its Teaching in Deaf Schools.  Pedagogical Institute, Athens.
* Lampropoulou, V. (2007). "Η έρευνα της ελληνικής νοηματικής – Παρατηρήσεις φωνολογικής ανάλυσης" ("The research on Greek Sign Language: Observations of phonological analysis"). In Greek. pdf.
* Kourbetis V., & Hatzopoulou M. (2010).  I Can Also With My Eyes: Educational Approaches and Practices for Deaf Students . Kastaniotis, Athens

* v
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Languages of Greece

Official language|

* Greek

Greek varieties|

* Cretan
* Cappadocian
* Pontic
* Maniot
* Romano-Greek
* Tsakonian
* Yevanic

Sign languages|

* Greek Sign Language

Other languages|

* Aromanian
* Arvanitika
* Macedonian Slavic
* Megleno-Romanian
* Pomak Bulgarian
* Romani
* Balkan Romani
* Vlax Romani
* Turkish

* v
* t
* e

Languages of Cyprus

Official languages|

* Greek
* Turkish

Semiofficial language|

* English

Vernacular languages|

* Cypriot Greek
* Cypriot Turkish
* Kurbet

Minority languages|

* Armenian
* Cypriot Maronite Arabic
* Russian

Sign languages|

* Cypriot Sign Language
* Greek Sign Language
* Turkish Sign Language

* v
* t
* e

Sign language

* List of sign languages
* List by number of signers

Language
families[a]|

Sign languages by family

Australian
Aboriginal
(multiple families)[c]|

* Diyari
* Djingili
* Eltye eltyarrenke
* Iltyeme iltyeme
* Jaralde
* Kalkutungu
* Miriwoong
* Mudburra
* Pitha Pitha
* Rdaka rdaka
* Umpila
* Far North Queensland
* Warlmanpa
* Warluwara
* Warramunga
* Worora Kinship
* Yan-nhaŋu
* Yir Yoront
* Yolŋu

| Western Desert|

* Kartutjarra
* Manjiljarra
* Ngaatjatjarra

|

Zendath Kesign|

* Meriam
* Western Torres Strait Islander

Arab (Ishaaric)|

* Egyptian
* Kuwaiti
* Libyan
* Qatari Unified
* Yemeni

Iraqi–
Levantine|

* Iraqi

Levantine|

* Jordanian
* Lebanese
* Palestinian
* Syrian

Possible|

* Emirati
* Saudi
* Omani

Chinese Sign|

* Chinese (CSL/ZGS)
* Shanghai
* Hong Kong (HKSL)
* Macau

Chilean-Paraguayan-
Uruguayan Sign|

* Chilean (LSCh)

Paraguayan-
Uruguayan Sign|

* Paraguay (LSPY)
* Uruguay (LSU)

Francosign|

* Algerian (LSA)
* Swiss-German (DSGS)
* Estonian (Eesti viipekeel)
* Irish (ISL)
* Australian-Irish
* Brazilian (Libras)
* Lithuanian
* Catalan (LSC)
* Valencian (LSV)
* French (LSF)
* Old French[c]
* Romanian (LSR)

American
(ASLic)|

* American (ASL)
* Black ASL (BASL)
* Protactile
* Bolivian
* Burmese
* Yangon
* Mandalay
* Cambodian
* Costa Rican
* Dominican
* Guyanese
* Jamaican
* Malaysian (BIM)
* Panamanian
* Filipino (FSL)
* Puerto Rican (PRSL)
* Singapore (SgSL)

Indonesian (Nusantaric)|

* Indonesian (Bisindo)
* Jakarta
* Yogyakarta

Francophone African
(Françafrosign)|

* Ethiopian
* Chadian
* Ghanaian
* Guinean
* Bamako (LaSiMa)
* Moroccan
* Nigerian
* Sierra Leonean

Mixed, Hand Talk|

* Oneida (OSL)

Mixed, Hoailona ʻŌlelo|

* Creole Hawaiʻi Sign Language (CHSL)

Mixed, French (LSF)|

* Greek (ΕΝΓ/ENG)
* Cypriot (ΚΝΓ/KNG)
* Quebec (LSQ)

Austro-
Hungarian|

* Czech (ČZJ)
* Hungarian (Magyar Jelnyev)
* Austrian (ÖGS)
* Slovak (SPJ)
* Ukrainian (УЖМ/USL)

Russian Sign|

* Azerbaijani (AİD)
* Bulgarian (БЖЕ)
* Georgian
* Kazakh-Russian (KSL/KRSL)
* Latvian (LSL)
* Mongolian
* Russian (РЖЯ)

Yugoslavic Sign|

* Croatian (HZJ)
* Kosovar
* Serbian
* Slovenian
* Yugoslav (YSL)

Dutch Sign|

* Dutch (NGT)
* Gambian

Italian Sign|

* Italian (LIS)
* Tunisian (TSL)

Mexican Sign|

* Mexican (LSM)
* Honduran (LESHO)

Old Belgian|

* Flemish (VGT)
* French Belgian (LSFB)

Danish (Tegnic)|

* Malagasy
* Icelandic (Táknmál)
* Norwegian (Tegnspråk)
* Danish (Tegnsprog)
* Faroese (Teknmál)

Viet-Thai|

* Hai Phong
* Hanoi
* Ho Chi Minh
* Thai (TSL/MSTSL)

Hand Talk|

* Great Basin
* Northeast
* Plains Sign Talk
* Southeast
* Southwest

Mixed, American (ASL)|

* Oneida (OSL)

Plateau|

* A'aninin
* Kalispel
* Ktunaxa (ʾa·qanⱡiⱡⱡitnam)
* Nesilextcl'n
* Shuswap (Secwepemcékst)
* Sqeliz

Indo-Pakistani
Sign|

* Bangalore-Madras
* Beluchistan
* Bengali
* Bombay
* Calcutta
* Delhi
* Nepali
* North West Frontier Province
* Punjab-Sindh

Japanese Sign|

* Japanese (JSL/Nihon Shuwa)
* Korean (KSL/Hanguk Sueo)
* Taiwanese (TSL/Taiwan Shouyu)

Kentish[c]|

* Old Kentish
* Chilmark
* Martha's Vineyard (MVSL)

Maya (Meemul Tziij /
Meemul Ch'aab'al)|

* Highland Maya
* Yucatec
* Chicán
* Nohkop
* Nohya
* Trascorral
* Cepeda Peraza

NW Eurosign|

| BANZSL|

* Auslan
* Papua New Guinean (PNGSL)
* British (BSL)
* Northern Ireland (NISL)
* Fijian
* Maritime (MSL)
* New Zealand (NZSL)
* Samoan
* South African (SASL)

Swedish Sign|

* Eritrean (EriSL)
* Finland-Swedish (FinSSL)
* Portuguese (LGP)
* Cape Verdian (LGC)
* São Tomé and Príncipean (LGSTP)
* Swedish (Teckenspråk)
* Finnish (Viittomakieli)

German Sign|

* German (DGS)
* Polish (PJM)
* Israeli (Shassi)

Original Thai Sign|

* Chiangmai
* Hai Phong
* Old Bangkok

Paget Gorman|

* Namibian (NSL)

Providencia–
Cayman Sign|

* Providence Island (Provisle)
* Old Cayman (Guyanese)

Isolates|

* Afghan
* Al-Sayyid Bedouin (ABSL)
* Albanian (AlbSL)
* Albarradas Sign Language
* Alipur
* Argentine (LSA)
* Armenian
* Caucasian (Harsneren)[c]
* Bay Islands
* Belizean
* Berbey
* Bhutanese
* Bouakako (LaSiBo)
* Bribri
* Brunca
* Bura
* Carhuahuaran
* Cena
* Central Taurus (CTSL/OTİD)
* Chatino
* Chiriqui
* Cuban (LSC)
* Dogon/Douentza
* Ecuadorian (LSEC)
* Enga
* Ghandruk
* Ghardaia (AJSL)
* Guatemalan (Lensegua)
* Guinea-Bissau
* Henniker[c]
* Hausa (HSL/Magannar Hannu)
* Hawaiʻi (Hoailona ʻŌlelo)
* Creole HSL
* Inuit
* Inuit Uukturausingit (IUR)
* Greenlandic (Ussersuataarneq)
* Jhankot
* Jumla
* Ka'apor
* Kajana
* Kafr Qasim
* Kailge
* Kata Kolok
* Kenyan (KSL/LAK)
* Somali (SSL)
* Keresan Pueblo (KPISL/Keresign)
* Kisindo
* Jamaican Country (KS/Konchri Sain)
* Macedonian
* Malawian
* Maltese (LSM)
* Mardin
* Maroua
* Maunabudhuk–Bodhe
* Mauritian (MSL)
* M'bour
* Mehek
* Miyakubo Shuwa
* Burkina (Mossi)
* Mount Avejaha
* Mozambican
* Naga
* Navajo/Diné Family
* Nicaraguan (ISN)
* Old Costa Rican
* Orocovis (LSOR)
* Ottoman (Seraglio/Harem)
* Ban Khor (Pasa kidd)
* Penang
* Persian (Esharani)
* Peruvian (LSP)
* Inmaculada
* Qahveh Khaneh
* Rennellese[c]
* Rossel Island
* Rwandan (AKR/AMR)
* Sandy River Valley[c]
* Salvadoran (LESSA)
* Sawmill
* Sinasina (SSSL)
* Sivia
* South Rupununi
* Spanish (LSE)
* Tebul
* Terena
* Tibetan (Bökyi lagda)
* Trinidad and Tobago (TTSL)
* Turkish (TİD)
* Ugandan (USL)
* Venezuelan (LSV/VSL)
* Wanib
* West African
* Adamorobe (AdaSL/Mumu kasa)
* Bura (Burasl)
* Mofu-Gudur
* Nanabin (NanabinSL)
* Yoruban (YSL)
* Zambian (ZSL)

Other groupings|

* Amami Shuwa languages
* Ethiopian languages
* Laotian languages
* Rwandan languages
* Sri Lankan languages
* Sudanese languages (~150)[b]
* Tanzanian languages (7+)[b]
* Zimsign languages

* International Sign
* Village languages

By region[a]|

Sign languages by region

Africa|

Algeria
Algerian
Ghardaia
Cameroon
Maroua
Cape Verde
Cape Verdian (LGC)
Ghana
Adamorobe (AdaSL / Mumu kasa)
Nanabin
Ivory Coast
Bouakako (LaSiBo)
Kenya
Kenyan
Malawi
Malawian
Mali
Bamako (LaSiMa)
Berbey
Tebul
Mozambique
Mozambican
Nigeria
Bura
Hausa (Magannar Hannu)
Rwanda
Rwandan (Amarenga)
São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipean (LGSTP)
Senegal
Mbour
Somalia, Somaliland & Djibouti
Somali
South Africa
South African
Tanzania
Tanzanian
Uganda
Ugandan
Zambia
Zambian

Asia|

Bengal
Bengali
Cambodia
Cambodian
China
Chinese
Hong Kong
Hong Kong (HKSL)
India
Alipur
Bengali
Indo-Pakistani
Naga
Indonesia
Indonesian
Kata Kolok (Benkala, Balinese)
Iran
Iranian (Esharani)
Qahveh Khaneh
Iraq
Iraqi
Kurdish
Israel
Al-Sayyid Bedouin
Ghardaia
Israeli
Kafr Qasem
Japan
Japanese
Koniya
Miyakubo
Korea
Korean
Kazakhstan
Kazakh-Russian
Laos
Laotian
Malaysia
Malaysian
Penang
Selangor
Maldives
Maldives
Mongolia
Mongolian
Nepal
Ghandruk
Jhankot
Jumla
Maunabudhuk–Bodhe
Nepalese
Philippines
Filipino
Saudi Arabia
Saudi
Singapore
Singapore
Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan
Taiwan
Taiwanese
Tajikistan
Russian
Tibet
Tibetan (Bökyi lagda)
Thailand
Old Bangkok
Chiangmai
Thai
Ban Khor (Pasa kidd)
Vietnam
Vietnamese

Europe|

Armenia
Armenian
Austria
Austrian
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani
Belgium
Flemish
French Belgian
United Kingdom
British
Croatia
Croatian
Denmark
Danish
Faroese (Teknmál)
Estonia
Estonian
Finland
Finnish
France
Ghardaia
French
Lyons
Georgia
Georgian
Germany
German
Greece
Greek
Hungary
Hungarian
Iceland
Icelandic
Ireland
Irish
Italy
Italian
Kosovo
Yugoslav (Kosovar)
Latvia
Latvian
Lithuania
Lithuanian
Moldova
Russian
Netherlands
Dutch
North Macedonia
Macedonian
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Norway
Norwegian
Poland
Polish
Portugal
Portuguese
Russia
Russian
Slovenia
Slovenian
Spain
Catalan
Spanish
Valencian
Sweden
Swedish
Switzerland
Swiss-German
Turkey
Central Taurus (CTSL/OTİD)
Mardin
Turkish
Ukraine
Ukrainian

North and
Central
America|

Belize
Belizean
Canada
American (ASL)

Black ASL
Protactile
Hand Talk

Oneida (OSL)
Plateau
Inuit (IUR)
Maritime (MSL)
Sawmill
Quebec
Cayman
Old Cayman
Costa Rica
Bribri
Brunca
Old Costa Rican
New Costa Rican
Cuba
Cuban
Greenland
Greenlandic (Ussersuataarneq)
Guatemala
Guatemalan
Mayan
Haiti
Haitian
Honduras
Bay Islands
Honduran
Mexico
Albarradas
Chatino
Mayan
Mexican
Nicaragua
Nicaraguan
Panama
Chiriqui
Panamanian
Puerto Rico (USA)
American (ASL)

Puerto Rican
Orocovis
El Salvador
Salvadoran (LESSO)
Old Salvadoran
United States
American (ASL)

Black ASL
Protactile
Hand Talk

Oneida (OSL)
Plateau
Henniker
Keresan (Keresign)
Martha's Vineyard
Navajo Family
Sandy River Valley
Sawmill

Oceania|

Australia
Akitiri (Eltye eltyarrenke)
Arrernte (Iltyeme iltyeme)
Auslan
Australian-Irish
Manjiljarra
Mudbura (Mudburra)
Ngada
Umpila

Far North Queensland
Warlmanpa
Warlpiri (Rdaka rdaka)
Warumungu (Warramunga)
Western Desert
Western Torres Strait Islander
Yir Yoront
Yolŋu
Hawaii (USA)
Hawaiʻan (Haoilona ʻŌlelo)
New Zealand
New Zealand (NZSL)
Papua New Guinea
Enga
Kailge
Mehek
Mount Avejaha
Papua New Guinean (PNGSL)
Rossel Island
Sinasina
Wanib
Samoa and American Samoa
Samoan

South America|

Argentina
Argentine (LSA)
Bolivia
Bolivian
Brazil
Brazilian (Libras)
Cena
Ka'apor
South Rupununi
Terena
Chile
Chilean
Colombia
Colombian
Provisle
Ecuador
Ecuadorian
Guyana
Guyanese
South Rupununi
Paraguay
Paraguayan
Peru
Carhuahuaran
Inmaculada
Peruvian
Sivia
Suriname
Kajana
Uruguay
Uruguayan
Venezuela
Venezuelan

International|

* International Sign
* Makaton
* Monastic
* Signalong

ASL|

* Grammar
* Idioms
* Literature
* Profanity
* Name signs

Extinct
languages|

* Chilmark
* Diyari
* Jaralde
* Kalkutungu
* Henniker Sign Language
* Martha's Vineyard
* Old French
* Old Kent
* Plateau Sign Language
* Pitha Pitha
* Sandy River Valley Sign Language
* Warluwara

Linguistics|

* Grammar (ASL)
* Bimodal bilingualism
* Phonology (ASL)
* Handshape / Location / Orientation / Movement / Expression
* Mouthing
* Nonmanual feature
* Sign names
* Home sign

Fingerspelling|

* American
* British (two-handed)
* Catalan
* Chilean
* Esperanto
* French
* German
* Hungarian
* Irish
* Japanese
* Korean
* Polish
* Russian
* Serbo-Croatian
* Spanish
* Ukrainian
* Portuguese

Writing|

* ASL-phabet
* Hamburg Notation System
* Stokoe notation
* SignWriting
* si5s
* ASLwrite ()

Language
contact|

* Contact sign
* Initialized sign
* Mouthing

Signed Oral
Languages|

* Indian Signing System
* Manually coded English
* Manually coded language in South Africa
* Manually Coded Malay
* Paget Gorman Sign System
* Signed Dutch
* Signed French
* Signed German
* Signed Italian
* Signed Japanese
* Signed Polish
* Signed Spanish
* Signing Exact English
* Signed Swedish

Others|

* Bilingual–bicultural education
* Manually coded language

Media|

* Films (list)
* Television shows (list)

Persons|

* Jabbar Baghtcheban
* Jeanette Berglind
* Pär Aron Borg
* Thomas Braidwood
* Laurent Clerc
* Abbé de l'Épée
* Roger Fouts
* Valerie Sutton
* Thomas Gallaudet
* Abbé Sicard
* William Stokoe
* Pierre Pélissier

Organisations|

* Association of Visual Language Interpreters of Canada
* International Center on Deafness and the Arts
* Mimics and Gesture Theatre
* World Association of Sign Language Interpreters

Miscellaneous|

* Baby sign language
* CHCI chimpanzee center (Washoe, Loulis)
* Open Outcry
* Legal recognition
* U.S. Army hand and arm signals
* Monastic sign languages
* Tactile signing
* Protactile
* Tic-tac

^a Sign-language names reflect the region of origin. Natural sign languages are not related to the spoken language used in the same region. For example, French Sign Language originated in France, but is not related to French. Conversely, ASL and BSL both originated in English-speaking countries but are not related to each other; ASL however is related to French Sign Language.

^b Denotes the number (if known) of languages within the family. No further information is given on these languages.

^c Italics indicate extinct languages.

## External links

[edit]

* WikiSigns.org \- Wiki GSL dictionary

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