Brazilian Sign Language, also known as "Libras" (from "Língua de Sinais Brasileira"), previously known as LSB or LGB, is the language of the Deaf communities of Brazil. Current distribution of Human Language Families Most languages are known to belong to language families. ... ISO 639-1 is the first part of the ISO 639 international-standard language-code family. ... ISO 639 is one of several international standards that lists short codes for language names. ... ISO 639-3 is in process of development as an international standard for language codes. ... A sign language (also signed language) is a language which uses gestures instead of sound to convey meaning - combining handshapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, facial expressions and lip-patterns. ... Sign language is not universal. ... This article needs to be wikified. ...

Recognition and status

Libras is well-established; several dictionaries, instructional videos and a number of articles on the linguistic features of the language have been published.

A strong sign language law was passed by the National Congress of Brazil on April 24, 2002, and (in 2005) is in the process of being implemented (see the law here (in Portuguese)). The law mandates the use of Libras in education and goverment services. Brazils bicameral National Congress (Portuguese: Congresso Nacional) consists of the Federal Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. ... April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (115th in leap years). ... 2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Educational approaches has evolved from oralism to Total Communication to bilingualism. Oralism is a philosophy of deaf education which asserts that instruction of students should primarily or exclusively be through the use of lip reading and spoken language (usually along with speech therapy). ... The term bilingualism (from bi meaning two and lingua meaning language) can refer to rather different phenomena. ...

Alphabet

Libras fingerspelling uses a one-handed manual alphabet similar to that used by the French Sign Langauge family. See this link. A manual alphabet is a system of representing all the letters of an alphabet, using only the hands. ... The American Sign Language alphabet is a manual alphabet to complement the vocabulary of American Sign Language when spelling individual letters of a word is the preferred or only option. ...

Deaf and sign language organizations

The peak deaf organization is FENEIS, the Federacao Nacional de Educacao e Integracao dos Surdos. There are a number of regional organizations in Curitiba, Caxias do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul. Curitiba seen from above Curitiba is the capital city of the Brazilian state of Paraná. In 2001 it had a population of approximately 1,600,000 people. ... Caxias do Sul (population: 368,000) is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, south Brazil. ... Rio Grande do Sul (English: Great River of the South) is the southernmost state of Brazil. ...

See also

• Urubú-Kaapor Sign Language - another sign language of Brazil.

References

• Gama, Flausine José da Costa: Iconographia dos Signaes dos Surdos-Mudos.[Iconography of Signs for the Deaf-Mute]. Rio de Janeiro : E.+H.Laemmert 1875
• Capovilla, F. C., and W. D. Raphael, eds. 2001. Dicionário enciclopédico ilustrado trilíngüe da Língua de Sinais Brasileira: Vols. 1 (Sinais de A a L) & 2 (Sinais de M a Z). [Trilingual illustrated encyclopedic dictionary of Brazilian Sign Language, Vols. 1 and 2] São Paulo: Edusp, FAPESP, Fundação Vitae, Feneis, Brasil Telecom. Volume One: ISBN 85-314-0600-5 Volume Two: ISBN 85-314-0603-X

1875 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

External links

• www.libras.org.br - NGO with information and services relating to Libras.
• Collection of links by "The Interpreters Friend".
• Entrevista Com o Surdo Gay - IMDB info on movie in Libras.