I am very ignorant when it comes to sign language in general.
Why is it called American Sign Language? Is it based off of English? If so why not English Sign Language?
For example is their a Chinese sign language? Would someone who knows Chinese sign language be able to communicate with an American Sign Language person?
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American Sign Language (ASL) has its roots in French Sign Language (FSL), because when American Deaf schools were formed, the French were the furthest ahead in the world of helping and supporting their Deaf community. As a result, ASL and FSL have about a 60% overlap (or did, when I took ASL 20 years ago).
Sign languages appear and evolve inside Deaf communities. They are not pre-made or imposed. So ASL is nothing like BSL (British Sign Language); they evolved in different Deaf communities.
And no, ASL is absolutely not based off of English. Its grammar is wildly different and it has very little connection to the English language at all.
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