Historical Bases of American Sign Language

FAIN: RO-12231-75

Gallaudet University (Washington, DC 20002-3600)
James C. Woodward (Project Director: January 1975 to present)

To examine American Sign Language (ASL) from an historical sociolinguistic point of view. In addition project will examine influence of French Sign Language on ASL and ongoing lexical and grammatical change. of ASL will give important insights into the history of the deaf community as an autonomous minority group.