The Chilean
manual alphabet
Fingerspelling (or dactylology) is the representation of the letters of a writing system, and sometimes numeral systems, using only the hands. These manual alphabets (also known as finger alphabets or hand alphabets) have often been used in deaf e ...
is used by the Chilean
deaf
Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an Audiology, audiological condition. In this context it ...
community to sign
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
words and is incorporated into
Chilean Sign Language
Chilean Sign Language, or ''Lengua de Señas Chilena'' (LSCh), is the sign language of Chile's seven deaf institutions. It is used by people all over Chile and is the primary language used by the deaf community, being used for television interpre ...
. It is a one-handed alphabet, similar enough to the
American manual alphabet
The American Manual Alphabet (AMA) is a manual alphabet that augments the vocabulary of American Sign Language.
Letters and digits
The letters and digits are signed as follows. In informal contexts, the handshapes are not made as distinctly as the ...
for the two to be mutually intelligible, except for the letters Q (touch the jaw), T (touch the lips), S and X (trace the letter shapes, as is done with Z), U (horns, like a 7 or 8), and the additional letter Ñ (a rocking N).
{{sign language navigation
Manual alphabet
Disability in Chile