Austrian Sign Language

Austrian Sign Language
Österreichische Gebärdensprache (ÖGS)
Signed in Austria
Native signers 10,000  (2006)
Language family
French Sign
  • Austo-Hungarian Sign
    • Austrian Sign Language
Dialects
Language codes
ISO 639-3 asq

Austrian Sign Language, or Österreichische Gebärdensprache (ÖGS), is the sign language used by the Austrian Deaf community — approximately 10,000 people. (see Krausneker 2006)

Contents

Classification

ÖGS and Hungarian Sign Language seem to be related for historical reasons (First School for the Deaf in Vienna) but there is no linguistic research on the matter and therefore no proof, yet. Although there are no detailed studies of the extent of relatedness, ÖGS shares aspects of its grammar with German Sign Language and Swiss Sign Language, while the vocabulary differs (see Skant et al. 2002); Wittmann (1991) places it in the French Sign Language family.

Similarities to American Sign Language (ASL)

The word for love is the same, palms open crossed over chest. The sign for agree is "same" in ASL, similar to agree although ÖGS does not touch the head first.

Researchs

Linguistic research on ÖGS started in the 1990s and is primarily conducted at the University of Klagenfurt[1] and University of Graz.[2]

After a nearly 15 year long struggle by the Deaf community, ÖGS was finally legally recognized by the Austrian Parliament on September 1, 2005.

Associations

The Austrian Deaf community is represented by the Austrian Association of the Deaf (the Österreichischer Gehörlosenbund).[3]

There is one nationwide association for professional interpreters of ÖGS.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ Forschungszentrum für Gebärdensprache und Hörgeschädigtenkommunikation
  2. ^ Arbeitsgruppe für Gebärdensprache
  3. ^ ÖGLB | Österreichischer Gehörlosenbund
  4. ^ OeGSDV - Oesterreichischer Gebaerdensprach-DolmetscherInnen-Verband

External links

Further reading