Maltese Sign Language
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A language of Malta
200 (2014 Malta Deaf People’s Association). 200 deaf signers, less than 0.1% of the total population. Another estimate: 2,000 (2014 IMB).
Scattered.
5 (Developing). Recognized language (2016, Maltese Sign Language Recognition Act No. XVII of 2016), declared LSM as an official language, established a Sign Language Council to promote and develop it, and to regulate interpreting services.
Language isolate, but influence from British Sign Language [bfi] (Azzopardi-Alexander 2009). Lexical variation between generations, with younger signers often borrowing from British Sign Language [bfi] and American Sign Language [ase] (Azzopardi-Alexander et al 2019). Fingerspelling system similar to French Sign Language [fsl].
One-handed fingerspelling.
Videos. Dictionary. Agency: Maltese Deaf People’s Association.
Developed starting in 1956 when a deaf unit was established in a mainstream school; little is know of signing before then. Taught as L2 at University of Malta starting in 1995. Some use of SignWriting with deaf children. (Azzopardi-Alexander et al 2019). 8 working sign language interpreters (2019 EUD). Taught as an L2. Christian.