Moldova Sign Language

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A language of Moldova

ISO 639-3
vsi
User Population

5,000 (2021 DBS/DOOR/SIL). Estimated 5,000–13,000 deaf signers in Moldova for all sign languages, assuming 0.2%–0.5% of total population. Other estimates: 5,000 (2017 N. Andrianova), 17,500 (2014 IMB).

Location

Scattered.

Language Status

5 (Developing). Recognized language (2012, Article 25(1), Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities, No. 60).

Classification
Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Dialects

None known. Relatively high lexical similarity to sign languages in Russia [rsl] and Ukraine [ukl] (Bickford 2005, 2020 N. Andrianova).

Language Use

Used by all. Some also use Romanian [ron], primarily written.

Language Development

Agency: Association of the Deaf of the Republic of Moldova.

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

Moldova Sign Language and Russian Sign Language [rsl] are not clearly distinguished in Moldova, with both names being used, often interchangeably. There is a tendency to favor one or the other name depending on a person’s ethnic identity. Lexically they are very similar, with a high degree of mutual intelligiblity, except that some people mouth and fingerspell in Russian [rus], while others mouth and fingerspell in Romanian [ron] (2020 N. Andrianova). Sign language recognized as the official language of deaf people, as the first language in deaf education, and as the main means of communication between deaf people and others. Government measures to encourage media to make their information services available to deaf people. Christian.