Mexican Sign Language

Language of deaf community in Mexico

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Mexican Sign Language (LSM)

Lengua de Señas Mexicana (LSM)
Native to| Mexico
Region| Cities

Native speakers

| 130,000 (2010 projection)[1]

Language family

French Sign

* Mexican Sign Language (LSM)

Language codes
ISO 639-3| `mfs`
Glottolog| `mexi1237`
ELP| Mexican Sign Language

Map of the North American Francosign languages, featuring Mexican Sign Language (labelled as "LSM")

Video to promote better access to museums for disabled people with Mexican sign language

Mexican Sign Language (Spanish: Lengua de señas mexicana, LSM; also previously known by several other names), is a natural language that serves as the predominant language of the Deaf community in Mexico. LSM is a complete and organized visual language, which is expressed with the hands, face, and body, with its own distinct history, community, and culture.[2] There are several dialects based on regional variation and LSM may be learned as a second language by hearing and Deaf signers. LSM is closely related to French Sign Language (LSF) and American Sign Language (ASL), although it is mutually unintelligible.[3]

LSM originated in the mid-19th century following the establishment of the first school for the Deaf in Mexico City, Escuela Nacional de Sordomudos (ENS), in 1869.[2] Deaf students at the school were instructed by educators using Old LSF, but also brought with them their own home signs and signing systems, which led to the formation of LSM.[2]

The number of native LSM signers is estimated to be between 49,000 and 195,000 people.[2] LSM is classified as vulnerable.[4]

## Geographic distribution and variation

[edit]

Core signing populations are found in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, with a number of smaller cities containing signing communities. There is also a growing number of LSM signers in the United States, particularly in areas along the Mexico-US border and in Washington, D.C., due to educational and economic opportunities.[3] Some members of the Deaf Latino community in the United States also use LSM.

Some regional variation is found (80%-90% lexical similarity across the country according to Faurot et al. 2001) and there is lexical variation based on age and gender in the numeral system.[2]

## Relationship of LSM to Spanish

[edit]

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Public service announcement with Mexican Sign Language interpretation

LSM is quite distinct from Spanish, with completely different verb inflections, different discourse structure and preferences for word order, and little use of the verb to be. However, there is extensive use of initialised signs with one study finding 37% of a 100-word list are initialised, compared to 14% for American Sign Language (Faurot et al. 2001). The same authors suggest that the Deaf community's comprehension of the Spanish language is very low.

The term "Signed Spanish" refers to signing that uses LSM signs (lexicon) in a Spanish word order, with some representations of Spanish morphology. There is a group of suffixes that signed Spanish uses in a way similar to that of signed English, e.g. signed symbols for -dor and -ción (for nouns). Articles and pronouns are fingerspelled. Signed Spanish (or Pidgin Signed Spanish) is often used by interpreters and during public reading or song-leading. Signed Spanish is also used by some hard of hearing and late deafened people.

## Relationship to other sign languages

[edit]

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LSM is widely believed by the Deaf community to have derived from Old French Sign Language (OFSL), which combined with pre-existing local sign languages and home sign systems when Deaf schools were first established in 1869. However, it is mutually unintelligible with American Sign Language, which emerged from OFSL 50 years earlier in the US, although the American manual alphabet is almost identical to the Mexican one. Spanish Sign Language used in Spain is different from Mexican Sign Language, though LSM may have been influenced by it.

## Status

[edit]

In 2005, Mexican Sign Language was officially declared a national language in Mexico, along with Spanish and indigenous languages, to be used in the national education system for the Deaf.[5] Before 2005, the major educational philosophy in the country focused on oralism (speech and lipreading) and with few schools that conducted classes in LSM.[6]

A five-minute signed segment of a nightly television news program was broadcast in Signed Spanish in the mid-1980s, then again in the early 1990s, discontinued in 1992, and resumed as a 2-minute summary of headlines in 1997.[citation needed]

## Alternate names

[edit]

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* Señas español ("Spanish Sign" - LSM is widely known by this name among the Deaf Community in Mexico, although the language is unrelated to Spanish or to Spanish Sign Language)
* Lenguaje de señas mexicano (no longer used)
* Lenguaje de las Manos (no longer used)
* Lenguaje Manual Mexicano (no longer used)

## See also

[edit]

* Mayan sign languages

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Mexican Sign Language (LSM) at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
2. ^ a b c d e Cruz-Aldrete, Miroslava (31 December 2010). "Gramática de la Lengua de Señas Mexicana (LSM)". Sign Language & Linguistics. 13 (2): 241–252\. doi:10.1075/sll.13.2.10cru. ISSN 1387-9316.
3. ^ a b QUINTO-POZOS, DAVID (13 March 2008). "Sign language contact and interference: ASL and LSM". Language in Society. 37 (2). doi:10.1017/s0047404508080251. ISSN 0047-4045. S2CID 146522117.
4. ^ Campbell, Lyle; Lee, Nala Huiying; Okura, Eve; Simpson, Sean; Ueki, Kaori (1 January 2022). "Mexican Sign Language". The Catalogue of Endangered Languages (ElCat). Retrieved 1 January 2022.
5. ^ "México: Ley General de 2005 de las Personas con Discapacidad". Refworld. 10 June 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
6. ^ The identity of Mexican sign as a language p.4

* Faurot, Karla; Dellinger, Dianne; Eatough, Andy; Parkhurst, Steve (2001) [1992], The identity of Mexican sign as a language© 1999 Summer Institute of Linguistics.`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
* Bickford, J. Albert (1991), "Lexical variation in Mexican Sign Language", Sign Language Studies (72): 72:241–276, JSTOR 26204555
* Smith-Stark, Thomas C. (1986), "La lengua manual Mexicana", Unpublished Paper, Colegio de Mexico[better source needed]
* Ley Federal para las Personas con Discapacidad.Section III. Article 23.`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: postscript (link)[full citation needed]
* Ley General para la Inclusión de las Personas con Discapacidad. (PDF)Article 14.`{{citation}}`: CS1 maint: postscript (link)

## External links

[edit]

Mexican Sign Language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator

* SIL page on LSM
* Diccionario de LSM (Spanish)
* WikiSigns.org \- Diccionario collaborativo de LSM

* v
* t
* e

Languages of Mexico

Official/
Indigenous|

| 100,000+
speakers|

* Spanish
* Nahuatl
* Yucatec Maya
* Tzeltal Maya
* Tzotzil Maya
* Mixtec
* Zapotec
* Otomí
* Totonac
* Mazatec
* Chʼol
* Huastec
* Chinantec
* Mixe
* Mazahua
* Tlapanec
* Purépecha

|

10,000-100,000
speakers|

* Tarahumara
* Tojol-abʼal
* Chontal de Tabasco
* Amuzgo
* Huichol
* Chatino
* Sierra Popoluca
* Mayo
* Tepehuán
* Triqui
* Cora
* Popolocan
* Huave
* Cuicatec
* Mam
* Yaqui
* Pame
* Qʼanjobʼal
* Tepehua

Under 10,000
speakers|

* Chontal of Oaxaca
* Chuj
* Akatek
* Chiricahua
* Tacuate
* Chichimeca Jonaz
* Huarijío
* Chocholtec
* Pima Bajo
* Qʼeqchí
* Lacandón
* Western Apache
* Jakaltek
* Matlatzinca
* Seri
* Mezcalero
* Ixcatec
* Kʼicheʼ
* Lipan
* Kaqchikel
* Texistepec
* Paipai
* Kikapú (whistled speech)
* Teko
* Cucapá
* Qatoʼk
* Kumiai
* Pápago
* Ixil
* Olutec
* Cochimí
* Kiliwa
* Ayapanec
* Awakatek

Non-official|

* English
* French
* Portuguese
* Plautdietsch
* Venetian
* Basque
* Catalan
* Hebrew
* Arabic
* Romani
* Japanese
* Korean
* Greek
* Italian
* Chinese
* German

Sign|

* Mexican Sign Language
* Albarradas Sign Language
* Mayan Sign Language
* Plains Indian Sign Language
* Chatino Sign Language

Note: The list of official languages is ordered by decreasing size of population.

* 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.
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