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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First, sign language is not universal. The same way spoken language isn’t universal.
American English and British English aren’t the same. Just look at the word chips.
Now, sign language. American (ASL) uses a one handed alphabet. Two hands are used to make flowing connections or sentences. But ASL can be understood with only one hand.
British (BSL) uses a two handed alphabet. But BSL isn’t even universal in Great Britian. Welsh signers have shorthand that London signers don’t use. Regional dialects, regional accents. It naturally flows to regional signs.
Indo-Pakistani (IPSL) is the most used sign language in the world by population. But nearly every major language center will have their own form of a regional specific sign language.
The EU has 27 members and 30 different sign languages.
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