Albanian Sign Language
In today's world, Albanian Sign Language is a topic of constant interest and covers a wide range of aspects. From its influence on society to its implications on the global economy, Albanian Sign Language has become a focal point in everyday conversations. With an impact that transcends borders and cultures, Albanian Sign Language has positioned itself as a relevant and constantly evolving topic. In this article, we will explore different perspectives and approaches related to Albanian Sign Language, with the aim of understanding its importance in the current context and its projection for the future.
| Albanian Sign Language | |
|---|---|
| AlbSL | |
| Gjuha e Shqipe e Shenjave | |
| Native to | Albania |
Native speakers | 24,000 (2007)[1] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | sqk |
| Glottolog | alba1271 |
Albanian Sign Language (AlbSL, Albanian: Gjuha e Shenjave Shqipe) is one of the deaf sign languages of Europe. It is unrelated to other sign languages of the Balkans.
It is relatively young, having developed primarily since the collapse of Communism in 1990. During the communist era, deaf people did not associate with each other on a regular basis. Their communication was primarily with hearing people, and so was strongly influenced by Albanian, with extensive use of fingerspelling and initialized signs, along with some gestures borrowed from hearing people. After the collapse of communism, deaf people began to congregate and a fully-fledged sign language developed. They invented new signs to replace the former use of fingerspelling, and also came into contact with International Sign and other European sign languages, resulting in numerous loan words. The language continues to change rapidly, with innovations tending to radiate from the capital, Tirana, to rural areas.[2]
References
- ^ Albanian Sign Language at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)
- ^ Hoyer, Karin (2007). "Albanian Sign Language: Language contact, International Sign, and gesture". In Quinto-Pozos, David (ed.). Sign Languages in Contact. Washington DC: Gallaudet University Press. pp. 195–234. ISBN 978-1-56368-356-5.
