Dictionary

sign language en · NOUN

Pronunciation

(Southern-England) audio

Meanings

(countable) Any of several natural languages, typically used by the deaf, in which words consist of hand shapes, motions, positions, and facial expressions.
- It is safe to say that the academic world is now convinced that sign languages are real languages in every sense of the term. 2000, Wendy Sandler, Diane Lillo-Martin, edited by Mark Aronoff and Janie Rees-Miller, The Handbook of Linguistics:
(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.
(uncountable) Sign languages (sense 1) considered collectively.
- There are some unique properties found in sign language compared to spoken language.
(countable, 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.
- 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. 1847, Francis Parkman, The Oregon Trail:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
sign languages	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Deriveds

sign · chirologist

Translations (132)

ar لُغَةُ إِشَارَة (sign language) · fo teknmál (sign language) · pdt Finjasproak (sign language) · fa-ira زَبانِ اِشارِه (sign language) · es idioma de signos (sign language) · se giehtagiella (sign language) · sv teckenspråk (sign language) · pt língua gestual (sign language) · nan-hbl 手語 /手语 (sign language) · sl znakovni jezik (sign language) · si සංඥා භාෂා (sign language) · hsb znamjenjowa rěč (sign language) · sh znakovni jezik (sign language) · ka ნიშნების ენა (sign language) · iu ᐆᒃᑐᐊᕋᐅᓯᕋᖅ (sign language) · scn lingua dî signa (sign language) · bar Gebeadnsproch (sign language) · smj siejvvemgiella (sign language) · tg забони ишора (sign language) · hy ժեստերի լեզու (sign language) · fy gebeartetaal (sign language) · mt lingwa tas-Sinjali (sign language) · fr langage des signes (sign language) · km ភាសាសញ្ញា (sign language) · tl wikang pakumpas (sign language) · co lingua di i cenni (sign language) · lo ພາສາມື (sign language) · ur اِشاری زَبان (sign language) · vi ngôn ngữ ký hiệu (sign language) · kl ussersuutit (sign language) · sco sign leid (sign language) · de Zeichensprache (sign language) · dsb znamjenjowa rěc (sign language) · ga teanga chomharthaíochta (sign language) · lb Zeechesprooch (sign language) · nb tegnspråk (sign language) · cmn 手語 /手语 (sign language) · fr langue des signes (sign language) · tr işaret dili (sign language) · dsb gestikulaciska rěc (sign language) · fa-ira زُبانِ اِشارِه (sign language) · bo བརྡ་སྐད (sign language) · ka ჟესტების ენა (sign language) · eo gestolingvo (sign language) · ht lang siy (sign language) · fi viittomakieli (sign language) · ms bahasa isyarat (sign language) · sh знаковни језик (sign language) · be жэ́ставая мо́ва (sign language) · nv naashchid (sign language) · sk posunkový jazyk (sign language) · be мо́ва жэ́стаў (sign language) · et viipekeel (sign language) · ikt tikuraq (sign language) · is fingramál (sign language) · cy iaith arwyddion (sign language) · mi reo rotarota (sign language) · de Gebärdensprache (sign language) · mk знаковен јазик (sign language) · es idioma de señas (sign language) · yi שטומ־לשון (sign language) · rsk знаковни язик (sign language) · lt gestų kalba (sign language) · nl gebarentaal (sign language) · oc lenga de signes (sign language) · ik urraaraq (sign language) · lv zīmju valoda (sign language) · la lingua gesticulatoria (sign language) · vi ngôn ngữ dấu hiệu (sign language) · ru же́стовый язы́к (sign language) · hu jelnyelv (sign language) · unm tëtpi (sign language) · es idioma signado (sign language) · tk işaret dili (sign language) · pl język migowy (sign language) · la lingua signorum (sign language) · es lengua signada (sign language) · es lengua de señas (sign language) · sq gjuha e shenjave (sign language) · sk posunková reč (sign language) · ko 수화 (sign language) · ru язы́к же́стов (sign language) · da tegnsprog (sign language) · id bahasa isyarat (sign language) · my လက်သင်္ကေတပြဘာသာစကား (sign language) · is táknmál (sign language) · kk ым тілі (sign language) · lb Gebäerdesprooch (sign language) · bn প্রতীকী ভাষা (sign language) · sk znaková reč (sign language) · vi ngôn ngữ kí hiệu (sign language) · yue 手語 /手语 (sign language) · bar Gebeadnsproche (sign language) · oc lenga dels signes (sign language) · ja 手話 (sign language) · tg забони ишоратӣ (sign language) · sc limba de sos sinnos (sign language) · ur اِشاری زُبان (sign language) · ug ئىشارەت تىلى (sign language) · el νοηματική γλώσσα (sign language) · it lingua dei segni (sign language) · cs znakový jazyk (sign language) · ca llengua de signes (sign language) · bg жестомими́чен ези́к (sign language) · sw lugha ya ishara (sign language) · ky жест тили (sign language) · rue же́стовый язы́к (sign language) · rue зна́ковый язы́к (sign language) · uk мо́ва же́стів (sign language) · af gebaretaal (sign language) · pt linguagem de sinais (sign language) · ro limba semnelor (sign language) · ikt ujjiqsuuraq (sign language) · es lengua de signos (sign language) · uz ishora tili (sign language) · az işarə dili (sign language) · nn teiknspråk (sign language) · hy նշանների լեզու (sign language) · sk znakový jazyk (sign language) · tg забони ношунавоён (sign language) · uk же́стова мо́ва (sign language) · vi thủ ngữ (sign language) · mn дохионы хэл (sign language) · bcl palba (sign language) · pt linguagem gestual (sign language) · hi सांकेतिक भाषा (sign language) · ko 수어 (sign language) · th ภาษามือ (sign language) · hsb gestikulaciska rěč (sign language) · lkt wíyutȟapi (sign language) · gl lingua de signos (sign language) · he שְׂפַת סִימָנִים (sign language)