Sri Lankan Sign Language

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A language of Sri Lanka

ISO 639-3
sqs
User Population

73,300 (2008 WFD). Approximately 0.35% of the general population.

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

6a* (Vigorous).

Classification
Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Dialects

None known. Significant lexical differences in the north, compared to Colombo, but not yet clear whether they are important enough to recognize as a distinct language; tensions between the two areas tend to emphasize the differences of the two varieties.

Typology

Two-handed finger-spelling derived from British Sign Language [bfi].

Language Use

14 deaf schools. Several sign languages used by different schools.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Sri Lankan Sign Language