Ban Khor Sign Language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ban Khor Sign Language
Native toThailand
Native speakers
400 (2009)[1]
Language family
sign language
Language codes
ISO 639-3bfk
Glottologbank1251
ELPBan Khor Sign Language

Ban Khor Sign Language (BKSL) is a village sign language used by at least 400 people of a rice-farming community in the village of in a remote area of Isan (northeastern Thailand).[2][1][3] Known locally as pasa kidd ('language of the mute'), it developed in the 1930s due to a high number of deaf people. Estimated number of users in 2009 was 16 deaf and approximately 400 hearing out of 2741 villagers.[1] It is a language isolate, independent of the other sign languages of Thailand such as Old Bangkok Sign Language and the national Thai Sign Language.[3]

Thai Sign Language is increasingly exerting an influence on BKSL. Younger Deaf attend distant residential Deaf schools where they learn Thai Sign Language. Even middle-aged hearing people are using Thai SL vocabulary mixed with BKSL. Attitudes favoring Thai SL over BKSL are beginning to be expressed.[3]

Other local sign languages[]

Other village sign languages have been reported from the Ban Khor area, in the villages of , and Na Sai. They have not been documented, so it is not known if they are dialects of BKSL or if they are distinct languages.[4][2]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Nonaka, Angela M. (2009). "Estimating size, scope, and membership of the speech/sign communities of undocumented indigenous/village sign languages: The Ban Khor case study". Language & Communication. 29 (3): 210–229. doi:10.1016/j.langcom.2009.02.004.
  2. ^ a b Nonaka, Angela M. (2004). "The forgotten endangered languages: Lessons on the importance of remembering from Thailand's Ban Khor Sign Language". Language in Society. 33 (5): 737–768. doi:10.1017/s004740450404504x.
  3. ^ a b c Nonaka, Angela M. (2014). "(Almost) everyone here spoke Ban Khor Sign Language—Until they started using TSL: Language shift and endangerment of a Thai village sign language". Language & Communication. 38: 54–72. doi:10.1016/j.langcom.2014.05.005.
  4. ^ Hurlbut, Hope M. (2009). "Thai signed languages survey—A rapid appraisal". SIL Electronic Survey Reports (2009–016): 7. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
Retrieved from ""