Lyons Sign Language
Encyclopedia
Lyons Sign Language is an old sign language
of France. It is not intelligible with and apparently not related to French Sign Language
, which developed in Paris. The number of current speakers is not attested.
(a 'prototype' sign language).
Wittmann further suspects that LSL gave rise to Belgian Sign Language, of which today the two dialects, Flemish Sign Language
and French Belgian Sign Language, are treated separately.
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...
of France. It is not intelligible with and apparently not related to French Sign Language
French Sign Language
French Sign Language is the sign language of the deaf in the nation of France. According to Ethnologue, it has 50,000 to 100,000 native signers....
, which developed in Paris. The number of current speakers is not attested.
Classification
Wittmann (1991) posits that LSL is a language isolateLanguage isolate
A language isolate, in the absolute sense, is a natural language with no demonstrable genealogical relationship with other languages; that is, one that has not been demonstrated to descend from an ancestor common with any other language. They are in effect language families consisting of a single...
(a 'prototype' sign language).
Wittmann further suspects that LSL gave rise to Belgian Sign Language, of which today the two dialects, Flemish Sign Language
Flemish Sign Language
Flemish Sign Language is the language used by signers in Flanders, which is the northern part of Belgium, a country in Western Europe...
and French Belgian Sign Language, are treated separately.