Mexican Sign Language
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A language of Mexico
130,000 (2010 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated, assuming 0.1% of total population. Earlier estimate: 87,000–100,000 mainly monolingual users (1986 T. Smith-Stark).
Scattered, except in Yucatan Peninsula (see Yucatec Mayan Sign Language [msd]) and other rural areas.
5 (Developing). Recognized language (2011, Ley general para la inclusión de las personas con discapacidad (General law for the inclusion of disabled people), especially Article XXII).
Influence from Old French Sign Language [fsl] starting in 1867. Monterrey and Torreón both use a subdialect of LSM with a lot of different and newly invented signs. Mazatlan reportedly has more ASL [ase] influence. Both ASL and LSM are used in parts of Baja California Norte, especially in Tijuana and Ensenada. Users of ASL have 14% intelligibility of LSM. Lexical similarity 85%–100% among regional dialects, nearly all above 90% (Bickford 1991).
Used by all. Some also use Spanish [spa].
Dictionary. Bible portions: 2013.
Most deaf schools use oralist method, but some use signs. 15 deaf churches or agencies for the deaf in the Mexico City area, 4 in Guadalajara, 3 in Mérida, 3 in Puebla, 3 in Cuernavaca, 2 in Los Mochis, 2 in Monterrey, 2 in Tijuana, 2 in Ciudad Juárez, 2 in Torreón, 2 in Aguascalientes, at least one each in Jojutla, Cd. Madero, Cd. Mante, Reynosa, Ensenada, Torreón, Colima, Morelia, Pachuca, Tampico, Toluca, Queretaro, Tlaxcala, San Luis Potosi, Celaya, Hermosillo, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Acanceh, Zaplotanejo. 19 schools for the deaf in Saltillo, Guadalajara (3), Mexico City (6), Morelia, Cuernavaca, Monterrey, Ciudad Obregón, Hermosillo, Villahermosa, Matamoros, Veracruz; athletic clubs, theatre troupes, craft schools, rehabilitation institutions.