Hearing Loss/Deafness Sign Language The History of American Sign Language By Jamie Berke facebook Jamie Berke is a deafness and hard of hearing expert. Learn about our editorial process Jamie Berke Fact checked by Fact checked by Ashley Hall on April 20, 2020 linkedin Ashley Hall is a writer and fact checker who has been published in multiple medical journals in the field of surgery. Learn about our editorial process Ashley Hall Updated on April 20, 2020 Print American Sign Language has been around for a long time. But who invented it or how did it come to be? What we call American Sign Language actually has roots in Europe. It is also known that in the 18th century, the teacher of the deaf Abbe de l'Epee of France developed an early form of sign language that contributed to American Sign Language. The Abbe de l'Epee developed a system of manual French similar in concept to Signed Exact English. BRIAN MITCHELL / Getty Images France's Signing Community However, there was already a signing French community before the Abbe de l'Epee. This was documented by the deaf author Pierre Desloges. Desloges wrote in his 1779 book Observations of a Deaf-Mute that de l'Eppee had learned French sign language from deaf people in France. It appears that for years, the manual system and the "true" system of signing co-existed, with the manual probably being used in the classroom and the "true" system outside of the classroom. Martha's Vineyard's Signing Nora Ellen Groce's book, "Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language," traces the origin of Martha's Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL), an early sign language used on the island of Martha's Vineyard off the coast of Massachusetts, where hereditary deafness was common beginning in the 17th century. She traced MVSL back to County Kent in southern England. Groce found in "Samuel Pepy's Diary" that sign language was used in the Kentish "weald" (woodland area). Vineyard residents called their sign "Chilmark Sign Language" after the village of Chilmark where there was a good sized deaf community. MVSL may have had some influence on the development of American Sign Language when some deaf children from Martha's Vineyard began attending the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. In addition, as deaf children from around the country attended the school, they probably brought with them "homemade" signs. Over time, these signs probably combined with the other sign language used at the school (including manual English) and developed into what is known as ASL. Signing in Other Countries Every country's sign language has a history. The history is often similar to that of ASL's development. For example, Nicaraguan sign language developed when Nicaragua's first school for the deaf was opened. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. American Sign Language. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD). Updated May 8, 2019. Groce, Nora E. Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language: Hereditary Deafness on Marthas Vineyard. Harvard University Press, 1988.