Myth: Sign Language is not an independent Language. It depends on the languages spoken.
Fact: The structure of each sign language differs from the structure of the spoken language of the same country. They follow their own path of development. For example, in Hindi, relationships like brother, husband and son are expressed using only one word. But in Indian Sign Language (ISL), these relationships are expressed using the combination of different words, like brother is expressed by combining two words, “man+sibling”.
Below is the signer AI assistant taking the pledge: “All Indians are my brothers and sisters.”
Countries that speak only one language, may have more than one sign languages and countries that speak many languages may have only one sign language. Many characteristics of the vocabulary and grammar of Sign Language are quite not linked to spoken language. For example, in English, the word light has different meanings. Different meanings of this word would be translated into Sign Languages by different signs.
Although, in some countries, certain sign languages do have similar structure to that of the spoken languages. This type of signing language is only and used for teaching purposes in school and is not used by deaf people daily.