Did you know Original Chiangmai Sign Language is critically endangered?

"OCMSL is a original sign language that developed among deaf people living in Chiang Mai in the North of Thailand long before the first school for deaf people was established in 1951." (Woodward and Wongchai, 2015)

ALSO KNOWN AS		Chiengmai Sign Language, Original Chiangmai Sign Language, Old Chiangmai Sign Language, OCMSL
CLASSIFICATION		Sign Language, Southeast Asian
ORTHOGRAPHY		No standard orthography
CODE AUTHORITY		ISO 639-3
LANGUAGE CODE		csd
DOWNLOAD		As csv
MORE RESOURCES		OLAC search
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS		This language family includes original sign languages in Thailand and Hai Phong Sign Language.

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Information from: “Original Chiangmai Sign Language” (687–700 ch. 29) . Woodward, James, and Thanu Wanchai (2015) , Julie Bakken Jepsen, Goedele De Clerck, Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, and William B. McGregor · De Gruyter Mouton

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
~19
Native speakers worldwide
CHILDREN
0
YOUNG ADULTS
0
OLDER ADULTS
0
ELDERS
~19
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
"Since there has never been a census of deaf people in Bangkok, the real number of signers is unknown. However, some estimate of the number of signers can be made... Using United Nations estimates for urban areas of 1 person out of every 1,000 person born profoundly deaf or becoming profoundly deaf at an early age, there would be an estimate of 19 deaf people over the age of sixty-five living in the area where OCMSL is used. The estimated number of users of OCMSL therefore is up to 19 remaining users."

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

All the users are above 65 years old. "OCMSL is currently only used in very limited social situations. Instead MTSL replaces OCMSL in almost all interaction. Because of this situation and because of the extremely small number of users OCMSL is a critically endangered sign language. It is quite likely that if documentation of OCMSL is not completed in one generation that OCMSL will be lost to linguistic study forever, since there is currently no extensive record of OCMSL."

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Modern Thai Sign Language

LANGUAGE CONTEXT COMMENTS

"OCMSL was never used in any schools for deaf people. Currently, all users of OCMSL are also fluent in MTSL. All users of OCMSL are over the age of sixty-five and no younger signers are currently learning OCMSL."

PLACES: Thailand

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Chiang mai

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
90-170
Native speakers worldwide
CHILDREN
0
YOUNG ADULTS
0
OLDER ADULTS
0
ELDERS
90-170
MORE ON SPEAKER NUMBERS
Since there has never been a census of deaf people in Chiangmai the real number of signers is unknown. Numbers based on UN estimates.

DATE OF INFO: 2010

DOMAINS OF USE

SPEAKER NUMBER TRENDS

TRANSMISSION

MORE ON VITALITY

No monolingual users. All users over the age of 60.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

None

INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT

None

OTHER LANGUAGES USED BY THE COMMUNITY

Modern Thai Sign Language

Scripts (Writing system)

No standard orthography

PLACES: Thailand

LOCATION DESCRIPTION: Used in Chiangmai City and perhaps some of the provinces surrounding Chiangmai

No estimate available
Native speakers worldwide

Original Chiangmai Sign Language

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~19

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

90-170

No estimate available

Discussion

		2011	Original Chiangmai Sign Language			under review in Hansen, W. McGregor, G. De Clerck and S.LutaloKlingi (eds.) The World’s Sign Languages. Nijmegen, The Netherlands: Ishara Press.						James Woodward; Thanu Wongchai	James Woodward; Thanu Wongchai. 2011. "Original Chiangmai Sign Language."		0	0	90-170	2010	100-999	Since there has never been a census of deaf people in Chiangmai the real number of signers is unknown. Numbers based on UN estimates.	90-170	non-formal, colloquial	Modern Thai Sign Language				All users of Chiangmai Sign Language use other languages as well.	Critically Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	No monolingual users. All users over the age of 60.	15	14	Thailand	Used in Chiangmai City and perhaps some of the provinces surrounding Chiangmai	18.789968, 98.984387
9781614518174		2015	Original Chiangmai Sign Language	Sign Languages of the World	687–700		Julie Bakken Jepsen, Goedele De Clerck, Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, and William B. McGregor	De Gruyter Mouton		29		Woodward, James, and Thanu Wanchai	Woodward, James, and Thanu Wanchai. (2015). Original Chiangmai Sign Language. In Julie Bakken Jepsen, Goedele De Clerck, Sam Lutalo-Kiingi, and William B. McGregor (eds.), Sign Languages of the World, pp. 687–700. Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton.		0	0	~19		10-99	"Since there has never been a census of deaf people in Bangkok, the real number of signers is unknown. However, some estimate of the number of signers can be made... Using United Nations estimates for urban areas of 1 person out of every 1,000 person born profoundly deaf or becoming profoundly deaf at an early age, there would be an estimate of 19 deaf people over the age of sixty-five living in the area where OCMSL is used. The estimated number of users of OCMSL therefore is up to 19 remaining users."	~19	all	Modern Thai Sign Language	no	"OCMSL was never used in any schools for deaf people. Currently, all users of OCMSL are also fluent in MTSL. All users of OCMSL are over the age of sixty-five and no younger signers are currently learning OCMSL."	no	all	Critically Endangered (100 percent certain, based on the evidence available)	15	All the users are above 65 years old. "OCMSL is currently only used in very limited social situations. Instead MTSL replaces OCMSL in almost all interaction. Because of this situation and because of the extremely small number of users OCMSL is a critically endangered sign language. It is quite likely that if documentation of OCMSL is not completed in one generation that OCMSL will be lost to linguistic study forever, since there is currently no extensive record of OCMSL."	15	15	Thailand	Chiang mai
	16	2009	Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16th Edition (2009)				M. Paul Lewis	SIL International	Dallas, TX		http://www.ethnologue.com/		Lewis, M. Paul (ed.). 2009. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, 16 edn. http://www.ethnologue.com/home.asp. (15 February, 2011.)	ll_pub			No estimate available

Original Chiangmai Sign Language

Language metadata

Language information by source

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

~19

Critically endangered

100 percent certain, based on the evidence available

90-170

No estimate available

Discussion

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Sources of information

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