Swedish Sign Language

Official sign language of Sweden

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Swedish.  (January 2015) Click [show] for important translation instructions.

*   * Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
* Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 282 articles in the main category, and specifying`|topic=` will aid in categorization.
* Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
* You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is `Content in this edit is translated from the existing Swedish Wikipedia article at [[:sv:Svenskt teckenspråk]]; see its history for attribution.`
* You should also add the template `{{Translated|sv|Svenskt teckenspråk}}` to the talk page.
* For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

|

Swedish Sign Language

Svenskt Teckenspråk
Native to| Sweden

Native speakers

| 13.000 (2023)[1]

Language family

Swedish Sign

* Swedish Sign Language

Writing system

| SignWriting[2]
Language codes
ISO 639-3| `swl`
Glottolog| `swed1236`
ELP| Swedish Sign Language
Coordinates: 59°21′00″N 18°04′00″E﻿ / ﻿59.3500°N 18.0667°E﻿ / 59.3500; 18.0667, 64°00′00″N 26°00′00″E﻿ / ﻿64.0000°N 26.0000°E﻿ / 64.0000; 26.0000
The Swedish Sign Language word for "part-time"

Swedish Sign Language (SSL; Svenskt teckenspråk) is the sign language used in Sweden. It is recognized by the Swedish government as the country's official sign language, and hearing parents of deaf individuals are entitled to access state-sponsored classes that facilitate their learning of SSL.[3] Swedish sign language is strongly linked to the culture of Sweden. There are around 13.000 native speakers and a total of 30.000 speakers. [1]

## History[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
Find sources: "Swedish Sign Language" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

|

Swedish sign language first came into use in 1800. It does not stem from any other languages. In fact, this self-created language went on to influence Finnish Sign Language and Portuguese Sign Language. 1809 marks the year of the first deaf school, Manillaskolan, in Sweden. It was not until 1981 that Swedish Sign Language was recognized as a national language of Sweden.

Swedish Sign Language family tree

| | | | | | | | | | | |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

| | | | | | Swedish Sign Language
(c. 1800–present)|
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | | | |
| | Portuguese Sign Language
(c. 1820–present)| | Finnish Sign Language
(c. 1850–present)| | | |
| |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | | | | | Finland-Swedish Sign Language
(c. 1850–present)| | Eritrean Sign Language
(c. 1950–present)

## Hand alphabet[edit]

Pär Aron Borg is credited with creating the original hand alphabet in Swedish Sign Language. This handshape system served as a foundational reference for fingerspelling in Swedish Sign Language.

The hand alphabet in Swedish Sign Language has developed since Pär Aron Borg's original creation.

Pär Aron Borg's hand alphabet | Swedish sign language alphabet

|

## Education and communication[edit]

Per the Education Act of 1998, deaf children are expected to be able to write in Swedish and English, in addition to expressing their thoughts in Swedish Sign Language. Thus, six state-run schools (one of which specializes in learning disabilities) have been established regionally for deaf children who cannot attend traditional comprehensive schools. Comprehensive and secondary schools in Sweden offer classes in addition to a one-year program to students to learn Swedish Sign Language as a third national language, as well as in hopes of becoming an interpreter. Interpreters are found in hospitals, and they also teach the language to the parents and siblings of deaf children. Sweden provides 240 hours of courses over four years to parents so that they may learn to communicate with their children. Additionally, weekly courses in the language are also available to the siblings of deaf children and the children of deaf parents.[4]

## Expanding the culture of the deaf[edit]

Since the recognition of Swedish Sign Language as a national language of Sweden, the Swedish government has made available to deaf individuals television shows and news broadcasts in sign language. Subtitles in sign language are also increasing. On November 29, 2001, the first Bible was translated into Swedish Sign Language. Furthermore, the Health and Medical Service Act (1982) guaranteed interpreters for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in working life, leisure, and club activities.[4]

## See also[edit]

* Signed Swedish

## References[edit]

1. ^ Swedish Sign Language at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
2. ^ SignPuddle 2.0. Signbank.org. Retrieved on 2013-10-29.
3. ^ Haualand, Hilde; Holmström, Ingela (21 March 2019). "When language recognition and language shaming go hand in hand – sign language ideologies in Sweden and Norway". Deafness & Education International. 21 (2–3): 107. doi:10.1080/14643154.2018.1562636. hdl:10642/7861.
4. ^ a b Timmermans, N., & C. (n.d.) (May 1, 2016). The Status of Sign Languages in Europe (PDF). ISBN 978-92-871-5723-2. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. `{{cite book}}`: `|website=` ignored (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

## Further reading[edit]

* Lyxell, Tommy. Se språket – barns tillgång till svenskt teckenspråk [See the language – children's access to Swedish Sign Language] (PDF) (Report). Rapporter från Språkrådet (in Swedish). Graphic design by Nyberg, Mikael. Cover image by Nyberg, Tora. Investigated by Spetz, Jennie. Swedish Language Council. ISBN 978-91-86959-14-2.

## External links[edit]

* Swedish Sign Language Interpretation of Måns Zelmerlöw's Song "Heroes"
* Swedish Sign Language Alphabet
* Swedish vs American Sign Language Alphabet
* http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/7359

* v
* t
* e

Languages of Sweden

Official language|

* Swedish

Recognized minority languages|

* Finnish
* Meänkieli
* Sámi
* Southern
* Ume
* Pite
* Lule
* Northern
* Romani
* Finnish Kalo
* Scandoromani
* Vlax dialects
* Balkan dialects
* Yiddish

Sign languages|

* Swedish Sign Language

Other languages|

* Dalecarlian
* East Danish
* Elfdalian
* Gutnish

* v
* t
* e

Swedish language

National variants|

* Standard Swedish
* Finland Swedish
* Estonian Swedish

Dialects|

* Gotländska mål
* Götamål
* Norrländska mål:
* Östsvenska mål: Ostrobothnian
* Sveamål
* Sydsvenska mål
* Åland dialects

Use|

* Alphabet
* Å
* Ä
* Ö
* Orthography
* Braille
* Grammar
* Phonology (sj-sound)
* Dialect Alphabet

History|

* Proto-Indo-European
* Germanic Parent Language
* Proto-Germanic language
* Proto-Norse
* Old Norse
* Old Swedish
* Modern Swedish
* Contemporary Swedish

Literature|

* Early
* Reformation and Renaissance
* Enlightenment
* Romantic
* Realism
* Modernist
* poetry
* Children's

Regulators|

* Swedish Academy
* Swedish Language Council
* Institute for the Languages of Finland

Dictionaries|

* Svenska Akademiens ordbok
* Svenska Akademiens ordlista

Education|

* Swedish as a foreign language
* Mandatory Swedish
* Swedish for immigrants

Related topics|

* Swenglish
* Svorsk
* Swedish Sign Language
* Suecophile

* 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

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)
* Swedish (Teckenspråk)
* Finnish (Viittomakieli)

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
* Jamaican
* Malaysian (BIM)
* Oneida (OSL)
* Panamanian
* Filipino (FSL)
* Puerto Rican (PRSL)
* Quebec (LSQ)
* 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)

Austro-
Hungarian|

| Russian Sign|

* Bulgarian (БЖЕ)
* Georgian
* 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)
* Teknmál

Viet-Thai|

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

German Sign|

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

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)

Mayan (Meemul Tziij)|

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

Original Thai Sign|

* Chiangmai
* Hai Phong
* Old Bangkok

Paget Gorman|

* Namibian (NSL)

Plains Sign Language|

* Anishinaabe
* Apsáalooke
* Arikara
* Chaticks si Chaticks
* Cheyenne
* Coahuilteco
* Dane-zaa
* Diné
* Hinono'eino
* Hiraacá
* Icāk
* Karankawa
* Liksiyu
* Maagiadawa
* Meciciya ka pekiskwakehk
* Nakota
* Ni Mii Puu
* Niimíipuu
* Niitsítapi
* Nųmą́khų́·ki
* Nʉmʉnʉʉ
* Omaha
* Palus
* Piipaash
* Ppáⁿkka
* Schitsu'umsh
* Shiwinna
* Sioux
* Taos
* Tickanwa•tic
* Tháumgá
* Tsuu T'ina
* Umatilla
* Wazhazhe
* Wichita
* Wíyut'a / Wíblut'e
* Wyandot

Mixed, American (ASL)|

* Oneida (OSL)

Plateau|

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

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]
* Azerbaijani (AİD)
* Belizean
* Bhutanese
* Tibetan (Bökyi lagda)
* Bribri
* Brunca
* Cena
* Chatino
* Cuban (LSC)
* Navajo/Diné Family
* Dogon/Douentza
* Ecuadorian (LSEC)
* Enga
* Ghandruk
* Ghardaia (AJSL)
* Guatemalan (Lensegua)
* Guinea-Bissau
* Henniker[c]
* Hawaiʻi (Hoailona ʻŌlelo)
* Creole HSL
* Inuit
* Atgangmuurniq
* 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
* Maltese (LSM)
* Hausa (HSL/Magannar Hannu)
* Mardin
* Mauritian (MSL)
* M'bour
* Mehek
* Miyakubo Shuwa
* Burkina (Mossi)
* Mount Avejaha
* Mozambican
* Naga
* Nicaraguan (ISN)
* Old Costa Rican
* Ottoman (Seraglio/Harem)
* Ban Khor (Pasa kidd)
* Penang
* Persian
* Peruvian (LSP)
* Qahveh Khaneh
* Rennellese[c]
* Rossel Island
* Rwandan (AKR/AMR)
* Sandy River[c]
* Salvadoran
* Sinasina
* Spanish (LSE)
* Tebul
* 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

Other groupings|

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

* International Sign

By region[a]|

Sign languages by region

Africa|

Algeria
Algerian
Ghardaia
Cameroon
Maroua
Ghana
Adamorobe (AdaSL / Mumu kasa)
Nanabin
Ivory Coast
Bouakako (LaSiBo)
Kenya
Kenyan
Mali
Tebul
Bamako (LaSiMa)
Nigeria
Bura
Hausa (Magannar Hannu)
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
Persian
Iraq
Iraqi
Kurdish
Israel
Al-Sayyid Bedouin
Ghardaia
Israeli
Kafr Qasem
Japan
Amami Oshima
Japanese
Miyakubo
Korea
Korean
Laos
Laotian
Malaysia
Malaysian
Penang
Selangor
Mongolia
Mongolian
Nepal
Ghandruk
Jhankot
Jumla
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
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
Mardin
Turkish
Ukraine
Ukrainian

North and
Central
America|

Plains Sign Talk
Belize
Belizean
Canada
American (ASL)

Black ASL
Protactile
Blackfoot
Cree
Ojibwa
Oneida
Maritime (MSL)
Quebec
Inuit (Atgangmuurniq)
Plateau
Cayman
Old Cayman
Costa Rica
Bribri
Brunca
Old Costa Rican
New Costa Rican
Cuba
Cuban
Greenland
Greenlandic (Ussersuataarneq)
Guatemala
Guatemalan
Mayan
Haiti
Haitian
Honduras
Honduran
Mexico
Albarradas
Chatino
Mayan
Mexican
Nicaragua
Nicaraguan
Panama
Chiriqui
Panamanian
El Salvador
Salvadoran
Old Salvadoran
United States
American (ASL)

Black ASL
Protactile
Blackfeet
Cree
Cheyenne
Ojibwa
Oneida
Keresan (Keresign)
Martha's Vineyard
Navajo
Navajo Family
Sandy River Valley
Henniker

Oceania|

Australia
Auslan
Australian-Irish
Akitiri (Eltye eltyarrenke)
Far North Queensland Indigenous
Arrernte (Iltyeme iltyeme)
Warlpiri (Rdaka rdaka)
Manjiljarra
Warlmanpa
Warumungu (Warramunga)
Mudbura (Mudburra)
Ngada
Umpila

Far North Queensland
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
Chile
Chilean
Colombia
Colombian
Provisle
Ecuador
Ecuadorian
Paraguay
Paraguayan
Peru
Peruvian
Sivia
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

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.
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template