Hawaii Sign Language found to be distinct language

Hawaii Sign Language found to be distinct language
By AUDREY McAVOY, Associated Press | March 1, 2013 | Updated: March 1, 2013 7:14pm

HONOLULU (AP) — Linguists say they have determined that a unique sign language, possibly dating back to the 1800s or earlier, is being used in Hawaii, marking the first time in 80 years a previously unknown language — spoken or signed — has been documented in the U.S.

Researchers will formally announce their findings this weekend showing it's not a dialect of American Sign Language, as many long believed, but an unrelated language with unique vocabulary and grammar.

Only about 40 people, most in their 80s, are known to currently use Hawaii Sign Language, meaning the discovery comes just as the language is on the cusp of disappearing.

"I think that everyone in the room is aware of how Hawaiian, the indigenous language of this state, has been brought back from the brink of extinction," William O'Grady, linguistics professor at the University of Hawaii, said at a news conference. "But what we didn't know until very recently is that Hawaii is home to a second highly endangered language that is found nowhere else in the world."

More:
http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/Hawaii-Sign-Language-found-to-be-distinct-language-4320773.php