Sign Languages in Village Communities : Anthropological and Linguistic Insights

Abstract

This book unites the work of both anthropologists and linguists who have conducted fieldwork in rural signing communities around the globe. In most cases, these signing communities have emerged in response to a high incidence of (often hereditary) deafness. In contrast to the national sign languages used in urban deaf communities, these indigenous sign languages are typically shared between deaf and hearing community members, thus facilitating a high degree of integration between deaf and hearing individuals. This volume represents the largest collection of comparative work across such "deaf villages" to date.