Sign Language is the key for an international language. Forget Esperanto! Besides sign language is quiet and useful in certain situations like underwater and opens the rift between deaf and non-deaf people. Made up international spoken languages paint people into corners and are more susceptible to mutation and you will always run into a group of people who can't make certain sounds! The hand would be the virtual-visual tongue.
The sign for dog in Russian, Chinese, English, Arabic, and Spanish would be the same!
Instead of trying to build a new language with grammar rules and such - sign language would be easier and abates many grammar rules. Think about it - build on the original language instead of coming up with new grammar and pronunciation rules which only confuse the brain.
Think about the middle finger, thumbs up, and peace sign?
So you want an international language based on sign language? You're not the first. Hundreds of sign languages are in use around the world. As early as 1951, at a gathering of the World Congress of the World Federation of the Deaf, the idea of "unifying" the many sign languages was being discussed (handspeak.com). They realized that having hundreds of interpreters at every event just wasn't feasible. So around 1973 a committee was given the task to devise and standardize a system of international gestures. The Commission on Unification of Signs of the World Federation of the deaf then issued a book of almost 1500 signs, chosen or invented by them and they called the new basic international vocabulary "Gestuno." The name is Italian and roughly translated means "oneness of sign languages". A fine idea, now 60 years old.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure that you could write novels or guide books in sign language. There's still a strong case for Esperanto.
Thank You! Awesome Comment! But the people who can speak would all be trained to sign in a similar way. Signing would become a way of communication between people no matter if they are deaf or not.
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