# Providence Island Sign Language

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Sign language of Providence Island

Providence Island Sign Language Provisle Native to Colombia Region Providence Island Native speakers 19 deaf (1986)[1] Known by the majority of the 2,500–3,000 population Language family village sign Providencia–Cayman Sign?[2] Providence Island Sign Language Language codes ISO 639-3 prz Glottolog prov1243 ELP Providencia Sign Language Various sign languages of Turtle Island (North America), excluding Francosign languages. Provisle is labelled in pink.

**Providence Island Sign Language** (**PISL**; [Spanish](/source/Spanish_language): *Lengua de señas de Providencia*), also known as **Provisle**, is a [village sign language](/source/Village_sign_language) of the small island community of [Providence Island](/source/San_Andr%C3%A9s_and_Providencia) in the Western [Caribbean](/source/Caribbean), off the coast of [Nicaragua](/source/Nicaragua) but belonging to [Colombia](/source/Colombia). The island is about 15 square miles (39 km2) and the total population is about 5,000, of which an unusual proportion are deaf (5 in 1,000).[3]

It is believed that the sign language emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century. Brief sociological studies have suggested that deaf people on the island are regarded as inferior in mental ability; hearing people do not discuss complex ideas with them, and they hold a marginalized social position. Perhaps consequently, PISL is rather simplistic in comparison to other sign languages. Another possibility for the state of the language is that few deaf people communicate directly, meaning that almost all signing is mediated by the hearing population.[4]

## References

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

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Hammarström, Harald; Forke, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2020). ["Providencia Sign Language"](https://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/prov1243). *[Glottolog](/source/Glottolog) 4.3*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Lattig MC, Gelvez N, Plaza SL, Tamayo G, Uribe JI, Salvatierra I, Bernal JE, Tamayo ML (2008). "Deafness on the island of Providencia - Colombia: different etiology, different genetic counseling". *Genetic Counseling*. **19** (4): 403–12. [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [19239084](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19239084).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-MSPA_4-0)** [Meir, Irit](/source/Irit_Meir); [Sandler, Wendy](/source/Wendy_Sandler); [Padden, Carol](/source/Carol_Padden); [Aronoff, Mark](/source/Mark_Aronoff) (2010). ["Chapter 18: Emerging sign languages"](http://sandlersignlab.haifa.ac.il/html/html_eng/pdf/EMERGING_SIGN_LANGUAGES.pdf) (PDF). In Marschark, Marc; Spencer, Patricia Elizabeth (eds.). [*Oxford Handbook of Deaf Studies, Language, and Education*](https://books.google.com/books?id=0mmJAgAAQBAJ). Vol. 2. New York: [Oxford University Press](/source/Oxford_University_Press). [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-19-539003-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-19-539003-2). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [779907637](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/779907637). Retrieved 2016-11-05.

## Further reading

- Woodward, James. *Attitudes toward deaf people on Providence Island*, Journal article in: Sign Language Studies 7:18 (1978), pp. 49–68

- Woodward, James (1987). "Sign languages — Providence Island". In Van Cleve, John V. (ed.). *Gallaudet Encyclopedia of Deaf People and Deafness*. Vol. 3. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. pp. 103–104. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780070792296](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780070792296). [OCLC](/source/OCLC_(identifier)) [13821696](https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/13821696).

- Washabaugh, William; Woodward, James; DeSantis, Susan (1978): "Providence Island Sign: A Context-Dependent Language". In: Anthropological Linguistics, vol. 20, 95–109.

## External links

- [Providence Island Sign Language](https://web.archive.org/web/20051112022440/http://www.uwm.edu/~wash/prov.htm) by [William Washabaugh](/source/William_Washabaugh) (1991)

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.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Providence Island Sign Language](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence_Island_Sign_Language) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence_Island_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.