Algerian Jewish Sign Language

{{Short description|Sign language from Ghardaïa, Algeria}}

{{Multiple issues|

{{Expand Hebrew|date=July 2024}}

{{one source|date=July 2022}}

}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Algerian Jewish Sign Language

|altname=Ghardaia Sign Language
שפת הסימנים של יהודי אלג'יריה
sfat ha-simanim shel yehudi aljiriah

|nativename = שפת הסימנים הע׳רדאית
sfat ha-simanim ha-ghardait
שס"ע׳ shassagh [abbr.]

|states=Israel, possibly France

|speakers=Moribund

|date=2012

|ref=e25

|speakers_label=Users

|familycolor=sign

|family=village sign language

|iso3=ajs

|glotto=ghar1240

|glottorefname=Ghardaia Sign Language

}}

Algerian Jewish Sign Language (AJSL), also known as Ghardaia Sign Language, is a moribund village sign language originally of Ghardaïa, Algeria that is now used in Israel and possibly also in France.{{cite book

|last1=Lanesman

|first1=Sara

|last2=Meir

|first2=Irit

|year=2012

|chapter=The survival of Algerian Jewish Sign Language alongside Israeli Sign Language in Israel

|editor1-last = Zeshan

|editor1-first = Ulrike

|editor2-last = de Vos

|editor2-first = Connie

|title=Sign languages in village communities: Anthropological and linguistic insights

|pages = 153–179

|publication-place = Berlin and Nijmegen

|publisher = de Gruyter Mouton and Ishara Press

}}{{cite book

|last = Lanesman

|first = Sara

|year = 2016

|title = Algerian Jewish Sign Language: Its emergence and survival

|publication-place = Lancaster UK

|publisher = Ishara Press

|doi = 10.26530/OAPEN_588714

|isbn = 9780992922108

|url = http://www.oapen.org/search?identifier=588714

}}

The Jewish community of Ghardaïa immigrated to France and Israel during the years 1943 to 1962. However, because deaf Algerian Jews tended to marry deaf Israelis from other backgrounds, they adopted Israeli Sign Language (ISL) as their primary language and AJSL is now used only by older generations.

Little is known about its use in France.

References

{{reflist}}