Maritime Sign Language (MSL)

Summary

• Originated in Atlantic Canada with roots in British Sign Language, particularly from the Weald region of southeastern England.

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• Developed as a Deaf community sign language through interaction among Deaf people from diverse backgrounds.

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• Classified by Glottolog as an endangered language due to the declining number of native signers.

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• Research documented native MSL signs from video recordings (1995–2000) to preserve the language.

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• Findings showed greater ASL influence among male signers, reflecting historical differences in community involvement between men and women.

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• Evidence of language contact and language shift was observed as signers often switched between ASL and MSL.

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• The research supports the development of a digital Maritime Sign Language dictionary to preserve MSL for future generations.