A Concise Dictionary of New Zealand Sign Language

Many thousands of New Zealanders are familiar with New Zealand Sign Language which, like other natural languages, is a real language - a structured system of handshapes and movements located within a signing space. These form a system of meaning symbols which are able to express ideas, just as words are combined into sentences in spoken languages.

 

This essential guide to the language contains over 2,500 commonly used signs, along with valuable learning tools. Signs are illustrated with line drawings in this bilingual dictionary. Each entry contains information on how to make the sign, its semantic scope, and the words or phrases which can be used to translate the sign. The signs are in handshape order, with a full index of English words and phrases also taking the reader into the dictionary.