The unexpected French roots and American evolution of ASL
It is often mistaken for a visual version of English, but American Sign Language is a distinct, complex language. Born from a 19th-century collision of European pedagogy and indigenous American sign systems, its history reveals a fascinating story of linguistic survival and adaptation.
American Sign Language (ASL) emerged in the early 19th century, specifically following the 1817 founding of the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut. The language was forged through intense language contact between French Sign Language (LSF), brought by Laurent Clerc, and various local systems, including Martha's Vineyard Sign Language and various indigenous and home sign systems. While some scholars propose ASL began as a creole of LSF, modern research suggests it may have undergone structural changes over time or never fit the classic creole definition, particularly due to its unique agglutinative morphology.
The linguistic structure of ASL is entirely independent of English. It possesses its own grammar, vocabulary, and a subject–verb–object word order, though other proposals for its syntax exist. Unlike spoken languages that rely on linear sequences, ASL utilizes spatial placement and nonmanual features—such as movements of the face, torso, and shoulders—to convey meaning. While it is not a form of pantomime, it does feature a higher degree of iconicity than many spoken languages.
The language's legitimacy was once contested; until the mid-20th century, many linguists viewed it as inferior to spoken tongues. This changed in 1955 when linguist William Stokoe demonstrated that ASL shared the essential communicative features of oral languages. Despite the 1880 Milan Congress's attempt to mandate 'oralism' and ban sign languages in schools, ASL persisted through religious education, community organizations, and the tireless efforts of deaf advocates, eventually becoming a widely recognized and studied language across much of Anglophone Canada and parts of West Africa.
Source: American Sign Language
