sign language

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word sign language. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word sign language, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say sign language in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word sign language you have here. The definition of the word sign language will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofsign language, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Pronunciation

Noun

sign language (countable and uncountable, plural sign languages)

  1. (countable) One of several natural languages, typically used by the deaf, in which words consist of hand shapes, motions, positions, and facial expressions.
    • 2000, Wendy Sandler, Diane Lillo-Martin, edited by Mark Aronoff and Janie Rees-Miller, The Handbook of Linguistics:
      It is safe to say that the academic world is now convinced that sign languages are real languages in every sense of the term.
  2. (uncountable) The sign language (sense 1) that is used locally or that is mistakenly believed to be the only one.
    I'm taking night classes to learn sign language.
  3. (uncountable) Sign languages (sense 1) considered collectively.
    There are some unique properties found in sign language compared to spoken language.
  4. (countable or uncountable) Communication through gestures as a substitute for language, for example, between monks under a vow of silence or during trade amongst different linguistic groups.
    • 1847, Francis Parkman, The Oregon Trail:
      Even Maxwell the trader, who has been most among them, is compelled to resort to the curious sign language common to most of the prairie tribes.

Derived terms

Translations

See also

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia