In today's world, Egyptian Sign Language is a topic that has captured the attention of people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether due to its impact on society, its relevance in the professional field or its influence on popular culture, Egyptian Sign Language has positioned itself as a topic of general interest that generates all types of opinions and debates. From its origin to its possible consequences, Egyptian Sign Language has aroused the interest of academics, activists, opinion leaders and the general public, becoming an object of study and countless discussions. In this article, we will explore different aspects related to Egyptian Sign Language and its importance in today's world.
Egyptian Sign Language | |
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Region | Egypt |
Signers | 500,000 (2021) |
Arab Sign Language family
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Language codes | |
ISO 639-3 | esl |
Glottolog | egyp1238 |
Egyptian Sign Language (Arabic: لغة الإشارة المصرية, romanized: lugha al-ʿišāra al-Miṣriyyati) is a sign language used by members of the deaf community in Egypt.
Although there are no official statistics on the number of deaf people or the number of people who use Egyptian Sign Language as their primary language, Gallaudet University's library resources website quotes a 1999 estimate of 2 million hearing impaired children, while a 2007 study by the World Health Organization places the prevalence of hearing loss in Egypt at 16.02% across all age groups. Egyptian Sign Language is not formally recognized by the government.
Linguistically, Egyptian Sign Language is not related to other sign languages of the Arab World, such as Jordanian Sign Language, Palestinian Sign Language, or Libyan Sign Language. Attempts at unification, creating an "Arabic Sign Language", have failed, as the unified form would be an entirely new language.