Auslan

Auslan is the sign language of the Australian Deaf community. The term 'Auslan' is a blend of "Australian sign language", and was coined by Trevor Johnston in the early 1980s, although the language itself is much older.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Auslan is related to British Sign Language (BSL) and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL); the three have descended from the same parent language, BANZSL. Auslan has also been influenced by Irish Sign Language (ISL). Like other Deaf Sign Languages, Auslan has a grammar and vocabulary quite distinct from English. Its invention cannot be attributed to any person; rather, it developed naturally like spoken languages.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The number of people for whom Auslan is their primary or preferred language is difficult to determine. Recent studies have put the figure at 6500, a much lower figure than was previously thought. The number may be diminishing, and although Auslan's status and recognition is growing, there is some speculation that it is an endangered language.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sign language: A sign language (also 'signed language') is a language which uses manual communication instead of sound to convey meaning - simultaneously combining handshapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's thoughts. Sign languages develop...

Deaf community: REDIRECT Deaf culture...

Language: A language is a system of expression and communication. Individual languages use sound, gesture, and other means to express and communicate concepts, emotions, ideas, and thoughts. Expressions of a language are analysable into words, whose meanings are usually conventional. The word "language" is ...