sqx ISO 639
Kufr Qassem Sign Language
Visualizations
A language of Israel
- ISO 639
- sqx
- Alternate Names
- KQSL, Kafr Qassem Sign Language, Kafr Qassim Sign Language, Kfar Qassem Sign Language, Kfar Qassim Sign Language
- Population
- 50 (2020 R. Stamp). All monolingual users are born since 1980 (2020 R. Stamp).
- Location
- HaMerkaz district: Kufr Qassem (Kafr Qasim) city.
- Language Maps
- Language Status
- 6a (Vigorous).
- Classification
- Sign language, Shared sign language
- Dialects
- None known. Only an overlap of 15% and 19% for lexical signs in Israeli Sign Language [isr] and Al-Sayyid Bedouin Sign Language [syy], respectively (Kastner et al 2014).
- Language Use
- KQSL is used in informal and local settings - deaf club, in deaf homes, also used by some hearing people who have deaf relatives. A deaf community center was opened in Kafr Qasim in 1995, serving as a cornerstone for the deaf community to come together and share experiences, knowledge and enjoyment (2020 R. Stamp). Home and local contexts. Used by all. Recent studies have shown a shift among younger users toward bilingualism in Israeli Sign Language (ISL) [isr], with a more subtle shift among older monolingual users toward ISL (2020 R. Stamp). Also use Israeli Sign Language [isr], especially those born since 1980.
- Language Development
- Dictionary.
- Other Comments
- There is no special fingerspelling system associated with KQSL; when needed, the fingerspelling system from Israeli Sign Language (ISL) [isr] is used (2022 M. Jaraisy). Many deaf community members, especially the third generation and younger second generation born since 1980, are bilingual in KQSL and ISL. The third generation tends to prefer ISL (Jaraisi 2021). Mouthing is not often used in KQSL; deaf members of the third generation use more mouthing, but less so when communicating with older signers who are KQSL-dominant and/or when using KQSL lexical signs (Jaraisi 2021).
