| French Sign Language | |
|---|---|
| Francosign | |
| Geographic distribution | Before 1850, Western Europe, and North America; today parts of Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. |
| Linguistic classification | One of the world's sign language families |
Early form | |
| Language codes | |
| Glottolog | lsfi1234 |
The French Sign Language (LSF, from langue des signes française) or Francosign family is a language family of sign languages which includes French Sign Language and American Sign Language.
The LSF family descends from Old French Sign Language (VLSF), which developed among the deaf community in Paris. The earliest mention of Old French Sign Language is by the abbé Charles-Michel de l'Épée in the late 18th century, but it could have existed for centuries prior. Several European sign languages, such as Russian Sign Language, derive from it, as does American Sign Language, established when French educator Laurent Clerc taught his language at the American School for the Deaf. Others, such as Spanish Sign Language, are thought to be related to French Sign Language even if they are not directly descendent from it.