British, Australian and New Zealand Sign Language, known by the acronym BANZSL or as the British Sign Language family, is a language family encompassing three related sign languages: British Sign Language, with about 151,000 users, Auslan, with about 10,000 users, and New Zealand Sign Language, with about 20,000 users. The family also includes related varieties such as Northern Ireland Sign Language, South African Sign Language, with about 235,000 users, Maritime Sign Language, with about 100 users, Papua New Guinea Sign Language, a creole formed with Auslan with about 30,000 users, and Fiji Sign Language, giving the family a geographic distribution spanning Great Britain, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Newfoundland and Labrador, Australia and New Zealand.
Facts
RegionGreat Britain, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Maritimes, Australia and New Zealand. 1 Proto-Language StatusNo named or reconstructed proto-language exists. British Sign Language, Auslan and New Zealand Sign Language all descend from an unreconstructed Deaf sign language used in Britain during the 19th century. Anderson (1979) separately proposed that this family shares a deeper, likewise unreconstructed North-West European origin with the Swedish and German Sign Language families. 1 Partially Attested
Speaker CountNo family-wide aggregate is published. British Sign Language, the family's founding and largest documented member, is reported at approximately 151,000 users per the British Deaf Association statistics cited in the source. Auslan (about 10,000) and New Zealand Sign Language (about 20,000), both cited in the same source, and South African Sign Language (perhaps 235,000, uncited there), are not included in this figure. Sources
1. Wikipedia: BANZSL
Wikimedia FoundationInfobox language family, region field
Great Britain, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Newfoundland and Labrador, Maritimes, Australia and New Zealand
Lead section, paragraph 2
BSL, Auslan and NZSL all have their roots in a Deaf sign language used in Britain during the 19th century.
Languages section, first bullet
BSL (sign attested from 1644 may not be BSL), with approximately 151,000 users
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