Australian Aboriginal sign languages
Encyclopedia
Many Australian Aboriginal cultures have or traditionally had a manually coded language
, a sign-language
counterpart of their spoken language. This appears to be connected with various speech taboos
between certain kin or at particular times, such as during a mourning period for women or during initiation ceremonies for men, as was the case with Armenian Sign Language
, but unlike Plains Indian sign languages, which did not involve speech taboo, or deaf sign languages, which are not encodings of spoken language. There is some similarity between neighboring groups, and some contact pidgin
similar to Plains Standard Sign Language in the American Great Plains.
Sign languages appear to be most developed in areas with the most extensive speech taboos: the central desert (particularly among the Warlpiri
and Warumungu
), and western Cape York
. Complex gestural
systems have also been reported in the southern, central, and western desert regions, the Gulf of Carpentaria
(including north-east Arnhem Land
and the Tiwi Islands
), some Torres Strait Islands
, and the southern regions of the Fitzmaurice and Kimberley
areas. Evidence for sign languages elsewhere is slim, although they have been noted as far south as the south coast (Jaralde Sign Language) and there are even some accounts from the first few years of the 20th century of the use of sign by people from the south west coast. However, many of these codes are now extinct, and very few accounts have recorded any detail.
Reports on the status of deaf members of such Aboriginal communities differ, with some writers lauding the inclusion of deaf people in mainstream cultural life, while others indicate that deaf people do not learn the sign language and, like other deaf people isolated in hearing cultures, develop a simple system of home sign
to communicate with their immediate family. However, an Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander dialect of Auslan
exists in Far North Queensland
(extending from Yarrabah
to Cape York
), which is heavily influenced by the indigenous sign languages and gestural systems of the region.
Sign languages were noted in north Queensland were noted as early as 1908 (Roth). Early research into indigenous sign was done by the American linguist La Mont West
, and later, in more depth, by English linguist Adam Kendon
.
Manually Coded Language
Manually coded languages are representations of spoken languages in a gestural-visual form; that is, "sign language" versions of spoken languages...
, a sign-language
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
counterpart of their spoken language. This appears to be connected with various speech taboos
Avoidance speech
Avoidance speech, or "mother-in-law languages", is a feature of many Australian Aboriginal languages and some North American languages and Bantu languages of Africa whereby in the presence of certain relatives it is taboo to use everyday speech style, and instead a special speech style must be...
between certain kin or at particular times, such as during a mourning period for women or during initiation ceremonies for men, as was the case with Armenian Sign Language
Armenian Sign Language
Armenian Sign Language, also known as Caucasian Sign Language, is the indigenous sign language of Armenia. It is not directly related to the sign languages of Europe, though it may have historical connections to monastic sign language. It developed under marriage speech taboos similar to those...
, but unlike Plains Indian sign languages, which did not involve speech taboo, or deaf sign languages, which are not encodings of spoken language. There is some similarity between neighboring groups, and some contact pidgin
Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a simplified language that develops as a means of communication between two or more groups that do not have a language in common. It is most commonly employed in situations such as trade, or where both groups speak languages different from the language of the...
similar to Plains Standard Sign Language in the American Great Plains.
Sign languages appear to be most developed in areas with the most extensive speech taboos: the central desert (particularly among the Warlpiri
Warlpiri
The Warlpiri are a group of Indigenous Australians, many of whom speak the Warlpiri language. There are 5,000–6,000 Warlpiri, living mostly in a few towns and settlements scattered through their traditional land in Australia's Northern Territory, north and west of Alice Springs...
and Warumungu
Warumungu
The Warumungu are a group of Indigenous Australians, many of whom speak Kriol or the Pama–Nyungan language of Warumungu. They inhabit the region of Tennant Creek and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia as well as small towns to the South.- History :In the 1870s, early white...
), and western Cape York
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
. Complex gestural
Gesture
A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body...
systems have also been reported in the southern, central, and western desert regions, the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
(including north-east Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
and the Tiwi Islands
Tiwi Islands
The Tiwi Islands are part of Australia's Northern Territory, north of Darwin where the Arafura Sea joins the Timor Sea. They comprise Melville Island and Bathurst Island, with a combined area of ....
), some Torres Strait Islands
Torres Strait Islands
The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands which lie in Torres Strait, the waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea but Torres Strait Island known and Recognize as Nyumaria.The islands are mostly part of...
, and the southern regions of the Fitzmaurice and Kimberley
Kimberley region of Western Australia
The Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
areas. Evidence for sign languages elsewhere is slim, although they have been noted as far south as the south coast (Jaralde Sign Language) and there are even some accounts from the first few years of the 20th century of the use of sign by people from the south west coast. However, many of these codes are now extinct, and very few accounts have recorded any detail.
Reports on the status of deaf members of such Aboriginal communities differ, with some writers lauding the inclusion of deaf people in mainstream cultural life, while others indicate that deaf people do not learn the sign language and, like other deaf people isolated in hearing cultures, develop a simple system of home sign
Home sign
Home sign is the gestural communication system developed by a deaf child who lacks input from a language model in the family...
to communicate with their immediate family. However, an Aboriginal
Australian Aborigines
Australian Aborigines , also called Aboriginal Australians, from the latin ab originem , are people who are indigenous to most of the Australian continentthat is, to mainland Australia and the island of Tasmania...
and Torres Strait Islander dialect of Auslan
Auslan
Auslan is the sign language of the Australian deaf community. The term Auslan is an acronym of "Australian sign language", coined by Trevor Johnston in the early 1980s, although the language itself is much older...
exists in Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland
Far North Queensland, or FNQ, is the northernmost part of the Australian state of Queensland. The region, which contains a large section of the Tropical North Queensland area, stretches from the city of Cairns north to the Torres Strait...
(extending from Yarrabah
Yarrabah, Queensland
Yarrabah is an Aboriginal community situated approximately by road from Cairns CBD on Cape Grafton. It is much closer by direct-line distance but is separated from Cairns by the Murray Prior Range and an inlet of the Coral Sea. At the 2006 census, Yarrabah had a population of 2,371...
to Cape York
Cape York Peninsula
Cape York Peninsula is a large remote peninsula located in Far North Queensland at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia, the largest unspoilt wilderness in northern Australia and one of the last remaining wilderness areas on Earth...
), which is heavily influenced by the indigenous sign languages and gestural systems of the region.
Sign languages were noted in north Queensland were noted as early as 1908 (Roth). Early research into indigenous sign was done by the American linguist La Mont West
La Mont West
Dr. LaMont West is a famous anthropologist. He received his PhD in Anthropology from the University of Indiana. His paper was titled "The Sign Language: An Analysis"....
, and later, in more depth, by English linguist Adam Kendon
Adam Kendon
Adam Kendon is one of the world's foremost authorities on the topic of gesture. He initially focused on sign systems in Papua New Guinea and Australian Aboriginal sign languages, before developing a general framework for understanding gestures with the same kind of rigorous semiotic analysis as...
.
List of Aboriginal sign languages
- Note that most Aboriginal languages have multiple possible spellings, eg. Warlpiri is also known as Walpiri, Walbiri, Elpira, Ilpara, Wailbri
- Arrernte Sign Language **
- Dieri [Diyari] Sign Language ** (extinct)
- Djingili Sign Language * (non-Pama–Nyungan)
- Jaralde Sign Language
- Kaititj [Kaytetye]: Akitiri Sign Language **
- Kalkutungu Sign Language *
- Manjiljarra Sign Language
- Mudbura Sign Language *
- Murngin Sign Language
- Ngada Sign Language
- Pitha Pitha Sign Language *
- Torres Strait Islander Sign Language
- Umpila Sign Language *
- Warlmanpa Sign Language **
- Warlpiri Sign LanguageWarlpiri Sign LanguageWarlpiri Sign Language is a sign language used by the Warlpiri, an Aboriginal community in the central desert region of Australia. It is one of the most elaborate, and certainly the most studied, of all Australian Aboriginal sign languages.-Social context:...
** - Warluwara Sign Language *
- Warumungu [or Warramunga] Sign Language **
- Western Desert Sign Language (Kardutjara, Yurira Watjalku) *
- Worora Kinship Sign Language
- Yir Yoront *
* "Developed" (Kendon 1988)** "Highly developed"