Who Invented Sign Language for the Deaf & Mute?

I know, you'd mind the title of this post. I should have used more subtle.. unoffensive expressions.

But, my post is not about the linguistic niceties. It is about the the art that works as the sign language for the people with impaired hearing.

I Googled "who invented sign language for the deaf" and as was obvious, the results were astonishing as one link showed :

"Juan Pablo de Bonet was inspired by Leon's success to use his own methods to teach the deaf as well. He was also a Spanish monk and used the earlier methods of reading, writing, and speechreading as well as his own manual alphabet to educate the deaf. This was the first known manual alphabet system in the history of sign language. The handshapes in this alphabet represented the different speech sounds." http://www.start-american-sign-language.com/history-of-sign-language.html

Interesting stuff from the Western perspective. It has always to be someone from West!

However, I hold a different view. The mothers are the best and only people who not only understand but use the sign language with unfailing accuracy while nursing their wards who know no spoken language!

Hence, the first ever person who used the sign language has to be a mother.. a woman and not some man.

Then there is another aspect to it. It is from India. The classical dances from India are so highly developed that every human feeling is expressed using signs called mudraas [postures]. The mastery of those signs must have evolved over thousands of years. But, it is near perfect!

Regrettably, no guru ever cared to translate the highly developed language of classical Indian dances into the sign language for the deaf!

(Watch samples of the great sign language in this devotional piece from Film Naag Pancamii [1953]. Lyric by Gopal Singh Nepali , a Hindi poet from Bihar, here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlofpjcXzJE . If you don't get it at youtube, ask me, I may send you the clip.)

Another historical blunder of our ancestors! They didn't learn from Bodhaayan's loss of his theorem to Pythagoras!

Hey folks, shouldn't our ancestors be credited for having invented such a highly developed form of sign-language?

I wait for the answers.

Pramod Joshii of Dainik Hindustan, Delhi

Promod Joshii is a Senior Editor. I find him most readable. He seems unconventional and non-traditional. Actually, I don't like traditions much and conventions are mostly too buggy for me.

His article of the day that deals with Roman Script for Hindi and other Indian languages is excellent.

I don't have much to add to all that he has written; but, I have always wondered why Indians are still tied to the British legacy of writing "ch" [as in channel] instead of just "c"! Why the "rh" [parhna - reading] and not "Dh" [paDhana], its "keera" [insect/bug] and not "kiiDa", why the long sound of E is "ee" and not "ii", etc!

Well, Joshii could start with his paper, those at Dainik Hindustan could drop that "khaDii paaii" and start using a period [.] for puurN viraam!

But, I know, Hindivaalaas will not pay attention! Even the educated elite like to say behind my back "pataa na, ye kaisii baat karai?" .. I find it funny that they find my assertions funny!

Coming back to Pramod Joshii, well done, you're doing a great job. I read you every week.

Any simple word for the English verb "use"?

Hindi is good to communicate in most part of India. Its a different matter that non-Sanskritized Hindi will be understood by most Pakistanis and many Afghans as well.

Interestingly, Hindi (or Urdu, if you want this name) doesn't have any simple word for the English verb USE.

Hindi/Urdu say "upayog karna" and "istemaal karna"; both sound too buggy to me. Aren't they?

MaraaTHii and Gujraatii have a simple word.. vaaparanaa. Why can't, we, take this word in Hindi? We're caaluu enough to take caaluu from those languages!.. lol

Look at the following examples and decide for yourself:

# Current Hindi expression After adopting vaaparanaa

-- -------------------------- ---------------------------

1. istemaal/upayog karna vaaparna

2. istemaal karo vaaparo

3. istemaal kiijiye vaapariye

Well, I'm no language expert, but those who are might just can take a look at my suggestion!