Jordanian Sign Language

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A language of Jordan

ISO 639-3
jos
Alternate Names
LIU, Lughat al-Ishāra al-Urdunia, Lughat il-Ishaarah il-Urduniyyah
User Population

30,000 (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 20,000–40,000 deaf signers, based on 0.2%–0.4% of the general population.

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Dialects

None known. LIU signers understand Egyptian Sign Language (LIM) [esl] to some extent, despite major lexical differences. Understood well by deaf in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and even Egypt (Hendriks 2008:37). Not the same as Unified Arabic Sign Language, an artificial system promoted by representatives of 18 Arabic-speaking countries (Rashdan 2016). Relatively low lexical similarity with Egyptian Sign Language (LIM) [esl] (Hendriks 2008).

Typology

Content Q-Word Position: Final; Content Q-Word: One general plus some specific; Negation: Manual-dominant, Special emphatic negators; Fingerspelling: One-handed (Arabic script).

Language Use

Vigorous. Used by all.

Language Development

Dictionary. Grammar. Agency: Holy-Land Institute for the Deaf.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Jordanian Sign Language