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From:
Valerie Sutton Date: Tue Oct 5, 1999 3:09 pm Subject: Re: Questions & Answers | |
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>> Signed languages are as old as history. They are not new languages >> recently invented. Like spoken languages, they developed naturally. > > > I'm not sure I agree with this, Valerie. Remember that Judy and >James Shepherd-Kegl have seen a new sign language, Nicaraguan Sign >Language, come into existence. My understanding is that it wasn't >actually invented, but still came into existence as a result of Sandinista >educational policy. > > Some languages are clearly much older, but I would guess that >there's a certain critical mass of Deaf people necessary for a signed >language to be born. > > I like the rest of your answers, though. > >-- > Angus B. Grieve-Smith ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi Angus - Thanks for your review. Glad you like some of my answers - that means a lot :-) Of course you are correct about Nicaraguan Sign Language being a young naturally-evolving language. And I am sure there are some young spoken languages too. But there are also some older signed languages too. A lot of hearing people do not realize that signed languages existed back in history, before school systems, and without hearing people intervening. Actually I was trying to explain that naturally-evolved languages are not "invented"....obviously it is not written well. So how would you suggest that I re-word that paragraph? Valerie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Valerie Sutton SignWritingSite...Lessons Online https://www.SignWriting.org SignBankSite...Databases Online https://www.SignBank.org Deaf Action Committee For SignWriting Box 517, La Jolla, CA, 92038-0517, USA |
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