Dictionaries/Dictionaires

Sign language dictionaries are important tools in the spreading of knowledge about sign languages. They are an important asset in sign language training programs for parents, teachers and interpreters. In many countries, the first sign language research projects is aimed at the creation of a (paper) dictionary. In the meantime, more and more digital video dictionaries are becoming available. These dictionaries are often compiled and published by Deaf associations, deaf schools, universities or NGO’s. A list of dictionaries of African sign languages is presented below. If you notice a missing reference, we are grateful if you let us know.

Les dictionnaires des langues des signes sont des outils importants pour l’expansion de la connaissance concernant ces langues. Ces sont des atouts cruciaux pour les formations en langue des signes aussi bien pour les parents que les enseignants et les interprètes. Dans plusieurs pays, les premiers projets de recherche envisageaient la création de dictionnaire. Et les dictionnaires en vidéo en Afrique sont devenus de plus en plus disponibles. Ces dictionnaires sont souvent compilés et publiés par les associations et écoles des Sourds, les Universités ou encore les ONG. Pour plus d’informations sur la liste de dictionnaires des langues des signes Africaines, cliquez ici. Cette liste n’est pas exhaustive, veuillez donc nous contacter si vous remarquez des insuffisances. Merci!

Online dictionaries of African sign languages! Dictionnaires en ligne des langues des signes Africaines!

Cameroon SL                               

Gambian SL

Kenyan SL

Kenyan SL

Madagascar SL

Malian SL   

Mozambican SL

Namibian SL 

Tanzanian SL

South African SL 1

South African SL 2

Ugandan SL  

Zambian SL

Zimbabwean SL

References of dictionaries of African sign languages

(based in part on Schmaling, Constanze (2012) Dictionaries of African Sign Languages: An Overview In: Sign Language Studies,
Volume 12, Number 2, Winter 2012, pp. 236-278, with additions by Victoria Nyst)

Algeria / Algerie

Ministère de la Solidarité nationale, de la Famille et de la Condition féminine (Algérie). 2017. Dictionnaire de la langue des signes algérienne : 1560 mots signés les plus usités. Trilingue Arabe – français – langue des signes. 29 thèmes de la vie quotidienne / قاموس لغة الإشارة الجزائرية : 1560 كلمة الأكثر استعمالا. ثلاثي اللغة : عربي – فرنسي – لغة الإشارة. 29 موضواعا من الحياة اليومية [Dictionary of Algerian Sign Language: 1560 most used signs. Trilingual Arabic-French-Sign language. 29 themes from daily life].

Angola

ANSA/MED Dicionário da Língua Gestual Angolana (signs for 800 words, in book form and DVD) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoy096hZxTM

Benin

Sekpon, Raymond (ed.) Ecoute mes mains. Porto Novo: Editions ASUNOES

Sekpon, Dodo, Florids Hounkpe, Paul Agboyidou, Abou Ahoe (not dated) Mon livret de signes – Tome 1 Porto Novo: Association Universelle d’Oeuvres pour l’Epanouissement des Sourds

Sekpon, Dodo, Florids Hounkpe, Paul Agboyidou, Abou Ahoe (not dated) Mon livret de signes – Tome 2 Porto Novo: Association Universelle d’Oeuvres pour l’Epanouissement des Sourds

Burundi

Deafnet, NID Afrique du Sud/ANSB (2009) Manuel d’introduction la Langue des signes du Burundi (avec DVD, 500 signes).

Ephphatha school for the Deaf/Association des églises Emmanuel (1992) Livre des signes nationaux (83 signs).

Congo – Kinshasa

Cornett, D. J. 1990. Communiquons avec les sourds: Dictionnaire bilingue élémentaire: Langue des signes/francais. Bandundu, Rep. du Zaire: CEEBA.

Egypt / Egypte

Suwayd, Abd al-Hamid. 1984. Al-Qamus al-ishari. [Cairo, Egypt?]

Ethiopia / Ethiopie

Ethiopian National Association of the Deaf (ENAD). 2008. Ethiopian Sign Language Dictionary. N.p.: ENAD.

French-speaking countries

Kamei, Nobutaka ed. 2008. DVD : Langue des Signes d’Afrique Francophone (LSAF). Fuchu: Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia and Africa, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.

Tamomo, Serge. 1994. Le langage des signes du sourd Africain Francophone. Cotonou, Bénin: PEFISS.

Sanogo, Yedê Adama (2014) Ecoute mes mains. Abidjan: EDILIS

Gambia / Gambie

Gambian Association of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (GADHOH). 2001– 2005. Gambian Sign Language: Books 1–4. Banjul: GADHOH.

Ghana

Deutsch, C. & McGuire, C. (n.d.) Survival Ghanaian Sign Language Dictionary (online manuscript) https://www.dropbox.com/s/iq88egz0ceddx3o/Survival%20GSL%20Dictionary.pdf

Ghana National Association of the Deaf. n.d. [ca. 2001]. Ghanaian Sign Language. Ghana: Ghana National Association of the Deaf.

Guinee Bissau / Guinée-Bissau

Martini, M. and Morgado, M. 2017. Diccionário pratico de língua gestual Guineense: Lingua gestual Guineense para todos. Surd’Universo.

Martini, M., & Morgado, M. (2008). DICIONÁRIO ESCOLAR DE LÍNGUA GESTUAL GUINEENSE. Surd’Universo.

Ivory Coast / Côte d’Ivoire

Sanogo, Yédê Adama (2012) Ecoute mes mains: dictionnaire de langue des signes. Abidjan : EDILIS

Wikisign Langues des Signes de Côte d’Ivoire http://lsci.wikisign.org/wiki/Wikisign:Accueil

Kenya

Akach, P. A. O., ed. 1991. Kenyan Sign Language Dictionary. Nairobi: KNAD.

Kenya National Association of the Deaf (KNAD) and Kenya Sign Language Research Project (KSLRP). 2004. Kenyan Sign Language Interactive. CD-ROM. For a demo see: http://www.peacecorps.gov/ksl/

Kenya Sign Language Research Project. 1998. Kenyan Sign Language Vocabulary Pamphlets: Time; Animals; Family. Nairobi: KNAD.

Kenyan Sign Language lexicon poster: http://ksl-poster.mindfulinteractive.com/

Mweri, J. G., ed. 2001. Kenyan Sign Language Dictionary, 2nd rev. ed. Nairobi: KNAD.

Rothenborg-Jensen, I.-L., and E. C. C. Yego. 1988. A Basic Kenyan Sign Dictionary: English/Kiswahili. Nairobi: Kenya Institute of Special Education.

Lesotho

Janes, C. P. 1991. Puo ea sesotho ka matsaho. Maseru, Lesotho: Epic Printers

Machobane, ‘Malillo E.M., and Litsepiso Matlosa (2010) Lesotho Sign Language Learners Dictionary. National Association of the Deaf Lesotho/Department of African Languages and Literatures (NUL).

Libya

Suwed, Abdalla. 1984. Lughit alishara alcarabiyya, lughit alsum. Tripoli, Libya: Almunsha Alcama Sinnashir.

Madagascar

Federasionan’ny Marenina eto Madagasikara (2009)  Diksioneranny Tenin’ny Tanana Malagasy (A Dictionary of the Malagasy Sign Language). Federasionan’ny Marenina eto Madagasikara (Federation of the Deaf in Madagascar)

Mali

Pinsonneault, D. 1999. Lexique des signes utilisés par les sourds du Mali: Mali mEnnikEbaliw ka taamasiyEnw daNEgafe. Mali: Centre Internationale d’Étude et de Coopération Internationale.

Wikisign Langue des Signes Malienne    http://lasima.wikisign.org/wiki/Sp%C3%A9cial:Toutes_les_pages

Mauritius / Île Maurice

Gebert, A., Adone, D., Horn, C., Croze, C., & Riebe, T. (2006). Dictionary and Grammar of Mauritian Sign Language: Dictionnaire Et Grammaire De La Langue Des Signes Mauricienne = Diksioner Ek Gramer Lang Sign Morisien

Morocco/Maroc

Wismann, Lynn and Margaret Walsh. 1987. Signs of Morocco. Rabat, Morocco: Peace Corps Morocco.

Mozambique

Ngunga, Armindo; Abudo, Assumane; Nahntumbo, David; ZandamelaA, Inocêncio e Manguana, Maria Luísa (2013). Dicionário da Língua de Sinais de Moçambique. Maputo: CEA-UEM, p.24-27

Namibia / Namibie

The Namibian SignWiki (online dictionary): http://na.signwiki.org

CLaSH. 2004. Namibian Signs: Sign Language Instruction Video for Families of Hearing Impaired Children. Video. CLaSH: Windhoek, Namibia. 278 | Sign Language Studies

Madison, J. P., ed. 2005. Namibian Sign Language: A Book for Beginners. Oshakati, Namibia: [s.n.].

Morgan, R., S. K. Liddell, M. M. N. Haikali, et al. 1991. Namibian Sign Language to English and Oshiwambo. Washington, D.C.: Gallaudet University Press.

Nigeria / Nigerie

Odusanya, T. 2000. Basic Sign Language. Ikeja, Lagos: Kunfemodot Services.

Schmaling, C. H., and L. Bala Hausawa. 2011. Maganar hannu: Harshen bebaye na kasar Hausa. Littafi na farko: Iyali. Kano: Good Image Printing. [Hausa Sign Language, Book 1: Family.]

Ajavon, Paulina Ada.. 2003. The Incorporation of Nigerian Signs in Deaf Education in Nigeria : A Pilot Study. Frankfurt am Main. Brussels: Peter Lang.

Rwanda

RNAD/VSO (2009) Inkoranyamagambo Y’Amarenga Yo Mu Rwanda (Rwandan Sign Language Dictionary)

São Tomé and Príncipe
Carmo, Patricia; Oliveira, Ricardo e Mineiro, Ana (orgs) (2014). Dicionário da Língua Gestual de São Tomé e Príncipe. Lisboa: Universidade Católica Portuguesa, p.5.

South Africa / Afrique du Sud

Nieder-Heitmann, N., comp. 1980. Talking to the Deaf: Praat met die dowes. A Visual Manual of Standardized Signs for the Deaf in South Africa: ’n visuele handboek met gestandaardiseerde gebare vir Dowes in Suid-Afrika. Pretoria, South Africa: Dept. of Education and Training/S.A. National Council for the Deaf.

Penn, C., D. Ogilvy-Foreman, D. Simmons, and M. Anderson-Forbes. 1992–1994. Dictionary of Southern African Signs for Communicating with the Deaf. 5 vols. [s.l.]: Human Sciences Research Council.

South Sudan / Soudan du Sud

Light for the World (2016) Basic South Sudanese Sign Language Dictionary. Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare of the Republic of South Sudan

Sudan / Soudan
Qāmūs luġat ’išārat al-ṣumm al-sūdāniyyah

Tanzania / Tanzanie

The Tanzanian SignWiki (online dictionary): http://tz.signwiki.org

Chama cha Viziwi Tanzania [Tanzanian Association of the Deaf]. 1993. Kamusi ya lugha ya alama Tanzania/The Tanzania Sign Language Dictionary: Kiswahili/ Kiingereza—lugha ya alama/Swahili/English—Sign Language. Dar es Salaam: Advert International.

Muzale, HRT ed. 2004. Kamusi ya alama Tanzania(The Tanzanian sign language dictionary). Second edition. Dar es Salaam: Chama cha Viziwi Tanzania (Tanzanian Association of the Deaf) and Languages of Tanzania (LOT project – University of Dar es Salaam).

Uganda / Ouganda

Cassingham, R. n.d. [after 1994]. Sign Language Basic Vocabulary: Information for Teachers and Parents. Kampala: Uganda National Institute of Special Education.

Uganda National Association of the Deaf. 1998. Manual of Ugandan Signs. Kampala: UNAD. ———. 1999. Manual of Ugandan Signs, rev. ed. Kampala: UNAD.

Wallin, L., D. Lule, Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, and B. Busingye. 2006. Uganda Sign Language Dictionary. Sign Language Project, Faculty of Special Needs Education, Kyambogo University, Kampala.

Zambia / Zambie

Bwalya, A. L. 1985. Zambian Sign Language. Lusaka, Zambia: Curriculum Development Centre, Ministry of General Education and Culture.

Zambia National Association of the Deaf (2001). Zambian Sign Language Dictionary: A Basic Dictionary of Gestural /Visual Communication System of the Zambian Deaf Community. Zambia National Association of the Deaf.

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean Sign Language dictionary (n.d.) a project of King George VI Centre and School, pdf online: http://www.osisa.org/books/language-rights/zimbabwe/zimbabwean-sign-language-dictionary