The Malagasy Sign Language (, abbreviated TT) is a

sign language Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with #Non-manual elements, no ...

used for communication among hearing impaired people in

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. An estimated 110,000 to 170,000 people (or 1% of the population of Madagascar) are deaf. Malagasy Sign Language is similar to

Norwegian Sign Language Norwegian Sign Language, or NSL ( Norwegian or , ''NTS''), is the principal sign language in Norway. There are many sign language organizations and some television programs broadcast in NSL in Norway. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation airs ...

because the first deaf school in Madagascar was founded in 1960 by the Malagasy Lutheran Church with the assistance of a number of Norwegians, including Norwegian teachers. That said, a large number of signs in Malagasy Sign seem to be completely unrelated to their Norwegian Sign counterparts. Seven deaf schools in Madagascar are sponsored by Evangelical Lutherans.

External links

WikiSigns.org
– Malagasy Sign Language Dictionary

References

Languages of Madagascar Sign languages French Sign Language family Danish Sign Language family {{Madagascar-stub