Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!purdue!haven!uvaarpa!mcnc!ecsvax.uncecs.edu!uncmed!calico!unccab
From: unccab@calico.med.unc.edu (Charles Balan)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Global Cultural Prototype
Keywords: esperanto, sign_language
Message-ID: <543@uncmed.med.unc.edu>
Date: 20 Oct 89 20:19:09 GMT
References: <8910171709.aa15054@granite.cr.bull.com> <3333@crdgw1.crd.ge.com> <544@ccadfa.adfa.oz.au>
Sender: news@uncmed.med.unc.edu
Reply-To: unccab@uncmed.med.unc.edu (Charles Balan)
Organization: UNC-CH School of Medicine
Lines: 42

As an interpreter in AmericanSignLanguage, I feel somewhat qualified to
respond somewhat to the conversation relating Esperanto to a signed
language.  I also am fluent in Spanish, French, German, Polish, Russian
and Hebrew and am currently learning Esperanto for the fun of it.

As has been pointed out, Sign Languages have several dialects ranging from
dialectical (as here in the U.S.A I cannot read many signs of the Yankees
up north) to complete language differences.  Ameslan is based upon
communication of ideas and as such is ideally suited to communication
between people without the hinderance of a "learned" grammar or fixed
construction (yes I mean "learned"..) that is common to most languages.
Chinese is the only spoken language I have studied that comes close to
expressing ideas rather than assigning vocabulary to items, although I am
sure there are other languages (perhaps in New Guinea?) that do so as
well.  I don't mean that Chinese is only idea-expressive, but that to the
extent that I have learned it, I find it to be overwhemingly so.  

I believe, if I understood the objections correctly, someone wanted to
establish a more "universal" language that would not limit blind or deaf
participants from being able to communicate.  Blind and deaf persons can
be signed into the palm (usually it is fingerspelling of words) of the
hand (as was done with Helen Keller).  I am not sure that such a proposal
is a good one (although I appreciate the sentiment of the initiator)
inasmuch as it would be more of a "foreign" language to non-signers than
Esperanto (or whatever) would be (or is..yes, there are deaf Esperantists)
for the signing population.  IMohsohumbleO, this is a great discussion and
perhaps even more brain-storming can come up with a solution to the
*problem* of world-wide communication.  Not everyone wants or can learn
several foreign languages (although I find it more fun than sex..well,
maybe) :-)

*Please don't flame me, this is the first thing I have ever posted...but
real discussion I would welcome :-) * 
C
C
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between people without the hindeP 


Charles Balan
UNCCAB@med.unc.edu   ,    UNCCAB@uncmed.uucp    ,   UNCCAB@unc.bitnet
%%%%%  They're from Aliens.....I seen 'em!    %%%%%%%%%%%%