A research for the origin of Japanese Sign Langugae in an isolated island

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K12875
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Linguistics
• Research Institution: Kyoto Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kanda Kazuyuki 京都工芸繊維大学, その他部局等, 研究員 (70132123)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 手話 / 源流 / 歴史言語学 / 未就学聾者

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The sign language of the deaf people existed before the school education began. The length and history of the sign language and the deaf people should be the same. A research for an old or an original signs must be done to those uneducated deaf people who usually live in an isolated istand or in an rural area without being less known. Their signs have no numeral sign, no color signs nor no kinship signs, instead pointing take the roles. Their signs used in daily life are more pictorial and appealing than the standard signs. They are quite idiosyncratic but still common in part.

Free Research Field

手話学