# Irish Sign Language

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Sign language of Ireland, used primarily in  Ireland

Irish Sign Language Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann Native to Ireland, Northern Ireland Native speakers 5,000 deaf (2014)[1] 45,000 hearing signers Language family Francosign Irish Sign Language Dialects Australian Irish Sign Language Official status Official language in Ireland Language codes ISO 639-3 isg Glottolog iris1235

The ISL manual/fingerspelling alphabet

**Irish Sign Language** (**ISL**, [Irish](/source/Irish_language): *Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann*) is the [sign language](/source/Sign_language) of [Ireland](/source/Ireland), used primarily in [Ireland](/source/Republic_of_Ireland). It is also used in [Northern Ireland](/source/Northern_Ireland), alongside [British Sign Language](/source/British_Sign_Language) (BSL). Irish Sign Language is more closely related to [French Sign Language](/source/French_Sign_Language) (LSF) than to BSL, though it has influence from both languages. It has influenced sign languages in Australia and South Africa, and has little relation to either spoken [Irish](/source/Irish_language) or [English](/source/English_language). ISL is unique among sign languages for having different gendered versions due to men and women being taught it at different schools all over Ireland.[2][3]

## History

### Development

The earliest known references to signing in Ireland come from the 18th century.[4][5] According to [Ethnologue](/source/Ethnologue), the language has influence from both [French Sign Language](/source/French_Sign_Language) (LSF) and [British Sign Language](/source/British_Sign_Language) (BSL), as well as from [signed French](/source/Signed_French) and [signed English](/source/Signed_English), BSL having been introduced in Dublin in 1816.[6]

#### Global reach

ISL was brought by [Catholic missionaries](/source/Catholic_missions) to [Australia](/source/Australia), and to Scotland and England, with remnants of ISL still visible in some variants of BSL, especially in [Glasgow](/source/Glasgow), and with some elderly [Auslan](/source/Auslan) Catholics still using ISL today. In South Africa, the Dominican nuns who established Catholic Schools saw a need for a school for the deaf, but due to resource constraints were not in a position to do this immediately. Instead, they wrote back to their Mother House in Cabra requesting an experienced teacher of the deaf. A deaf teacher, Bridget Lynne, responded. Remnants of gendered generational Irish Sign Language are thought to still be visible in some dialects of South African Sign Language,[7] which can probably be traced back to Lynne.

### 19th century

The first school for deaf children in Ireland, the [Claremont Institution](/source/Claremont_Institution), was established in 1816 by [Dr. Charles Orpen](/source/Charles_Orpen). According to admission documents between 1816 and 1822, about half of the students admitted already knew some form of signing. Conama and Leonard suggest that this points to evidence of an older, undocumented form of ISL.[8]

The Claremont Institution was a [Protestant](/source/Protestant) institution and given that Ireland was a [part of the United Kingdom](/source/United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Ireland), it is no surprise that BSL (or some version of [signed English](/source/Signed_English) based in BSL) was used for teaching and learning (Pollard 2006). St. Mary's School for Deaf Girls sent two teachers and two students to [Caen](/source/Caen) in France for 6 months; the students there likely learned [LSF](/source/French_Sign_Language), which likely influenced ISL when the students returned to Ireland.[4] McDonnell (1979) reports that the Irish institutions – [Catholic](/source/Roman_Catholic) and Protestant – did not teach the children to speak, and that it was not until 1887 that Claremont changed from a manual to an [oral approach](/source/Oralism). For the Catholic schools, the shift to oralism came later: St. Mary's School for Deaf Girls moved to an oral approach in 1946 and St. Joseph's School for Deaf Boys shifted to oralism in 1956,[9][10] though this did not become formal state policy until 1972. Sign language use was seriously suppressed and religion was used to further stigmatise the language (e.g. children were encouraged to give up signing for [Lent](/source/Lent) and sent to [confession](/source/Sacrament_of_Reconciliation) if caught signing).[11] The fact that the Catholic schools are segregated on the basis of gender led to the development of a gendered-generational variant of Irish Sign Language that is still evident (albeit to a lesser degree) today.[12][13][14][7][15][16]

### 20th century

In September 1992, coinciding with Deaf Awareness Week, [RTÉ](/source/RT%C3%89) introduced a nightly news bulletin, *News for the Deaf*, signed by a Deaf person at the end of [RTÉ News](/source/RT%C3%89_News%3A_Six_One).[17]

## Oireachtas bill

The "Recognition of Irish Sign Language for the Deaf Community Bill 2016" passed all stages in the [Oireachtas](/source/Oireachtas) (Irish Parliament) on 14 December 2017, and was signed into law under the revised title, The [Irish Sign Language Act 2017](/source/Irish_Sign_Language_Act_2017). The Act was signed into law by the [President of Ireland](/source/President_of_Ireland) [Michael D Higgins](/source/Michael_D._Higgins) on 24 December 2017.[18][19] The Act, which commenced on December 23, 2020, requires that public services are available through ISL and also outlines the need for greater access to education through sign language. Prior to the passage, there was no automatic right for deaf people to have an ISL [interpreter](/source/Language_interpretation) (except for criminal court proceedings). For the deaf community, recognition of ISL means more legal rights and better access to [public services](/source/Public_service) - including [education](/source/Education_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland), [healthcare](/source/Healthcare_in_the_Republic_of_Ireland), [media](/source/Media_of_the_Republic_of_Ireland) and [banking](/source/Banking).[20][21][22]

## Language code

The [ISO 639-3](/source/ISO_639-3) code for Irish Sign Language is isg; isl is the code for [Icelandic](/source/Icelandic_language).

## See also

- [Auslan](/source/Auslan)

- [Australian Irish Sign Language](/source/Australian_Irish_Sign_Language)

- [Deafness in Ireland](/source/Deafness_in_Ireland)

- [Irish manual alphabet](/source/Irish_manual_alphabet)

- [Lámh](/source/L%C3%A1mh)

- [Northern Ireland Sign Language](/source/Northern_Ireland_Sign_Language)

- [South African Sign Language](/source/South_African_Sign_Language)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-e18_1-0)** [Irish Sign Language](https://www.ethnologue.com/18/language/isg/) at *[Ethnologue](/source/Ethnologue)* (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Irish Sign Language"](https://www.irishdeafsociety.ie/irish-sign-language/). *www.irishdeafsociety.ie*. Retrieved 2020-07-28.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELeMaster1998_3-0)** [LeMaster 1998](#CITEREFLeMaster1998).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMohrLeeson2023_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMohrLeeson2023_4-1) [Mohr & Leeson 2023](#CITEREFMohrLeeson2023).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEConamaLeonard2020_5-0)** [Conama & Leonard 2020](#CITEREFConamaLeonard2020).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Irish Sign Language"](http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=isg). *Ethnologue.com*. Retrieved 15 January 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELeesonSaeed2012_7-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELeesonSaeed2012_7-1) [Leeson & Saeed 2012](#CITEREFLeesonSaeed2012).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEConamaLeonard20208_8-0)** [Conama & Leonard 2020](#CITEREFConamaLeonard2020), p. 8.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEGriffey1994_9-0)** [Griffey 1994](#CITEREFGriffey1994).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTECrean1997_10-0)** [Crean 1997](#CITEREFCrean1997).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEMcDonnellSaunders1993_11-0)** [McDonnell & Saunders 1993](#CITEREFMcDonnellSaunders1993).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELeMaster1990_12-0)** [LeMaster 1990](#CITEREFLeMaster1990).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELeesonGrehan2004_13-0)** [Leeson & Grehan 2004](#CITEREFLeesonGrehan2004).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELeeson2005_14-0)** [Leeson 2005](#CITEREFLeeson2005).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTELeonard2005_15-0)** [Leonard 2005](#CITEREFLeonard2005).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTEGrehan2008_16-0)** [Grehan 2008](#CITEREFGrehan2008).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** The Ted Taylor Files (2024-09-30). [*Channel 4 Sign On 02 01 1993 HD*](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyLEvY-WtAo). Retrieved 2025-10-26 – via YouTube.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["Irish Sign Language given official legal recognition"](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/irish-sign-language-given-official-legal-recognition-1.3338081). *The Irish Times*. Retrieved 2018-01-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** ["President signs Irish Sign Language bill into law"](https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2017/1224/929482-sign-language-bill/). *RTE.ie*. 2017-12-24. Retrieved 2018-01-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["Dáil passes 'historic' sign language legislation"](https://www.rte.ie/news/2017/1213/927259-irish-sign-language/). *RTE.ie*. 2017-12-14. Retrieved 2017-12-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["Irish Sign Language set to be given official status - Independent.ie"](https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irish-sign-language-set-to-be-given-official-status-36407921.html). *Independent.ie*. Retrieved 2017-12-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["Irish sign language set to receive official recognition"](https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/irish-sign-language-set-to-receive-official-recognition-818648.html). *Breaking News*. 2017-12-14. Retrieved 2017-12-14.

### Bibliography

- Conama, John Bosco; Leonard, Cormac (24 September 2020). ["In Search of ISL's Pre-History: The complex origins of Irish sign language(s?)"](https://journal.iraal.ie/index.php/teanga/article/view/190/409). *TEANGA, the Journal of the Irish Association for Applied Linguistics*. **11**. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.35903/teanga.v11i1.190](https://doi.org/10.35903%2Fteanga.v11i1.190). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2565-6325](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2565-6325). Retrieved 18 July 2024.

- Leonard, Cormac (2005). "Signs of diversity: use and recognition of gendered signs among your Irish Deaf people". *Deaf Worlds*. **21** (2): 62–77. [Academia](/source/Academia.edu) [3987155](https://www.academia.edu/3987155) .

- Crean, Edward J. (1997). [*Breaking the silence: The education of the deaf in Ireland 1816-1996*](https://archive.org/details/breakingsilencee00crea). Dublin: Irish Deaf Society Publication.

- Department of Education (1972). *The Education of Children who are Handicapped by Impaired Hearing*. Dublin: Government Publications.

- Grehan, Carmel (2008). *Communication Islands: The Impact of Segregation on Attitudes to ISL among a Sample of Graduates of St. Mary's School for Deaf Girls* (unpublished M.Phil. dissertation). Dublin: Trinity College.

- Griffey, Nicholas (1994). *From Silence to Speech: Fifty years with the Deaf*. Dublin: Dominican Publications. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1871552494](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1871552494).

- Leeson, Lorraine (2005). "Vying with Variation: Interpreting Language Contact, Gender Variation and Generational Difference". In Janzen, Terry (ed.). *Topics in Signed Language Interpreting*. Amsterdam and Philadelphia: John Benjamins. pp. 251–292. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1075/btl.63.15lee](https://doi.org/10.1075%2Fbtl.63.15lee). [Academia](/source/Academia.edu) [1059902](https://www.academia.edu/1059902) .

- Leeson, Lorraine; Grehan, Carmel (2004). "To The Lexicon and Beyond: The Effect of Gender on Variation in Irish Sign Language". In Van Herreweghe, Mieke; Vermeerbergen, Myriam (eds.). *To the Lexicon and Beyond: Sociolinguistics in European Deaf Communities*. Washington DC: Gallaudet University Press. pp. 39–73. [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [j.ctv2rh28cx.7](https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv2rh28cx.7). [ResearchGate](/source/ResearchGate) [260038564](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260038564) .

- Leeson, Lorraine; Saeed, John I. (2012). *Irish Sign Language*. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. [ResearchGate](/source/ResearchGate) [229083728](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/229083728) .

- LeMaster, Barbara (1998). ["Sex differences in Irish Sign Language"](https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110811155.67/html?lang=en). In Hill, Jane H.; Mistry, P.J.; Campbell, Lyle (eds.). *The Life of Language: Papers in Linguistics in Honor of William Bright*. Berlin, New York: De Gruyter Mouton. pp. 67–85. Retrieved 18 July 2024.

- LeMaster, Barbara Celeste (1990). *The Maintenance and Loss of Female and Male Signs in the Dublin Deaf Community* (dissertation). Ann Arbor: University of California, Los Angeles. [ProQuest](/source/ProQuest) [303886305](https://www.proquest.com/docview/303886305) .

- McDonnell, P. (1979). *The Establishment and Operation of Institutions for the Education of the Deaf in Ireland, 1816-1889* (unpublished essay submitted in part-fulfillment of the requirements of the award of the degree of Master in Education). Dublin: University College Dublin.

- McDonnell, Patrick; Saunders, Helena (1993). ["Sit on Your Hands: Strategies to Prevent Signing"](https://archive.org/details/lookingbackreade00fisc/page/255). In Fischer, Renate; Lane, Harlan (eds.). *Looking Back: A Reader on the History of Deaf Communities and their Sign Languages*. Hamburg: Signum. pp. 255–260.

- Mohr, Susanne; Leeson, Lorraine (2023). ["Irish Sign Language: Ireland's Third Language,"](https://academic.oup.com/edited-volume/55363/chapter/431223652). In Hickey, Raymond (ed.). *The Oxford Handbook of Irish English*. Oxford Handbooks. Oxford Academic. pp. 646–672. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198856153.013.31](https://doi.org/10.1093%2Foxfordhb%2F9780198856153.013.31). Retrieved 17 July 2024.

- Pollard, Rachel (2006). [*The Avenue*](https://archive.org/details/avenuehistoryofc0000poll). Dublin: Denzille Press.

- Rose, Heath; Conama, John Bosco (2018). ["Linguistic imperialism: still a valid construct in relation to language policy for Irish Sign Language"](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10993-017-9446-2). *Language Policy*. **17** (3): 385–404. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s10993-017-9446-2](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10993-017-9446-2).

## External links

- [Irish Deaf Society](http://www.irishdeafsociety.ie)

- [Centre for Deaf Studies, TCD](http://www.tcd.ie/slscs/cds)

v t e Languages of Ireland Official languages Irish English Minority languages Scots Ulster Scots Shelta Sign languages Irish Sign Language (Lámh)

v t e Francosign languages Proto Proto-LSF Africa Algerian ASLic Francophone African Ghanaian Moroccan Nigerian Sierra Leonean Danish Malagasy Dutch Gambian Italian Tunisian Americas Libras Chilean ASLic American Bolivian Costa Rican Dominican Jamaican Panamanian Puerto Rican Quebec Mexican Mexican Honduran Mixed, Hand Talk Oneida (OSL) Asia ASLic Kuala Lumpur Burmese Philippine Singaporean Thai BIM BIM BISINDO Jakarta Yogyakarta Russian Mongolian Europe Dutch French Irish Italian Latvian Lithuanian Romanian Swiss-German ASLic Greek Cypriot Austro- Hungarian Austrian Czech Hungarian Slovak Russian Bulgarian Estonian Georgian Russian Ukrainian Yugoslav Croatian Yugoslav Catalan Catalan Valencian Old Belgian Flemish French Belgian Danish Danish Icelandic Norwegian Oceania Australian-Irish Mixed, Hoailona ʻŌlelo Creole Hawaiʻi Sign Language (CHSL) Italics indicate extinct languages

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 (FSL) 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 Akure (AkSL) 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 Ibokun (IbSL) 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 Magajin Gari (MgSL) 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 Akure (AkSL) Bura Hausa (Magannar Hannu) Ibokun (IbSL) Magajin Gari (MgSL) 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 Theater of Mimicry and Gesture 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.

Authority control databases International GND National Israel

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Irish Sign Language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Sign_Language) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Sign_Language?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.