Indo-Pakistani Sign Language - Varieties

Varieties

There are many varieties of sign language in the region, including many pockets of home sign and local sign languages, such as Ghandruk Sign Language, Jhankot Sign Language, and Jumla Sign Language in Nepal, which appear to be language isolates; there are also various Sri Lankan sign languages which may not even be related to each other. However, the urban varieties of India, Pakistan, Nepal (Nepalese Sign Language), and Bangladesh are clearly related (although, for Nepalese Sign Language at least, it is not clear whether the relation is genetic, or perhaps rather one of borrowing compounded by extensive incorporation of a shared South Asian gestural base). Woodward (1993) found cognacy rates of 62–71; he concluded that the various varieties are separate languages belonging to the same language family. However, Zeshan (2000) proposes that Indian and Pakistani SL are varieties of a single language. Ethnologue (2000, 2005) notes that the urban varieties of India ('Urban Indian Sign Language', also used in Bangladesh and Pakistan) share about 75% of their vocabulary, that Pakistani SL may be the same language, and that Nepali SL is related. They identify the following dialects within India:

• Mumbai-Delhi Sign Language (or separately: Delhi Sign Language, Bombay Sign Language), the most influential
• Calcutta Sign Language
• Bangalore-Madras Sign Language (or Bangalore-Chennai-Hyderabad Sign Language)

While the sign system in ISL appears to be largely indigenous, elements in ISL are derived from British Sign Language. For example, most ISL signers nowadays use fingerspelling based on British Sign Language fingerspelling, with only isolated groups using an indigenous devanagari-based fingerspelling system (for example, Deaf students and graduates of the school for the deaf in Vadodara/Baroda, Gujarat). In addition, more recently contact with foreign Deaf has resulted in rather extensive borrowing from International Signs and (either directly or via International Signs) from American Sign Language. A small number of the Deaf in and around Bengaluru are often said to use American Sign Language (owing to a longstanding ASL deaf school there); however it is probably more correct to say that they use a lexicon based largely on ASL (or Signed English), while incorporating also a not inconsequential ISL element. Furthermore, regardless of the individual signs used, the grammar used is clearly ISL and not ASL.

The Delhi Association for the Deaf is reportedly working with Jawaharlal Nehru University to identify a standard sign language for India.