Rwandan Sign Language

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A language of Rwanda

ISO 639-3
rsn
Alternate Names
Amarenga y’Ikinyarwanda, Amarenga yo mu Rwanda, RSL
User Population

33,700, all users. L1 users: 33,500 (2021 S. Munana). The Rwandan deaf community (33,500) and about 200 hearing persons use RSL. L2 users: 200 (2021 S. Munana).

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

5* (Developing).

Classification
Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Dialects

None known. Lexical similarity: about 30% with American Sign Language (ASL) [ase].

Typology

Fingerspelling: one-handed similar to ASL.

Language Use

Some also use Kinyarwanda [kin].

Language Development

Dictionary. Agency: Rwanda National Union of the Deaf (RNUD).

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Rwandan Sign Language
Other Comments

RSL has been used since 1967 after the establishment of the Centre des Jeunes Sourds et Muets du Rwanda (Butare School for the Deaf) in Huye District by the Brothers of Charity. During that time, the Deaf who completed grade six were not able to continue on to secondary school and university due to communication barriers and engaged to vocational activities, mainly establishing cooperatives where they could engage in tailoring, welding, etc. The language further developed from there and, in 1989, Rwanda National Union of the Deaf (RNUD) was established (2021 S. Munana).