The French Belgian Sign Language (french: Langue des signes de Belgique francophone; LSFB) is the
deaf sign language
Sign languages (also known as signed languages) are languages that use the visual-manual modality to convey meaning, instead of spoken words. Sign languages are expressed through manual articulation in combination with non-manual markers. Sign l ...
of the
French language Community of
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, a country in Western Europe. It and
Flemish Sign Language
Flemish Sign Language ( nl, Vlaamse Gebarentaal, VGT) is a deaf sign language of Belgium. It is closely related to French Belgian Sign Language, but they are now generally recognized as distinct languages. VGT is estimated to include around 6,0 ...
are very closely related (and distantly if at all related to
French Sign Language
French Sign Language (french: langue des signes française, LSF) is the sign language of the deaf in France and French-speaking parts of Switzerland. According to ''Ethnologue'', it has 100,000 native signers.
French Sign Language is related ...
, but generally regarded today as distinct languages.
Legal recognition
By
decree
A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...
of 22 October 2003, the
Parliament of the French Community
The Parliament of the French Community (french: Parlement de la Communauté française or PCF) is the legislative assembly of the French Community of Belgium based in the Quartier Royal. It consists of all 75 members of the Walloon Parliament exce ...
recognised the Sign Language of French-speaking Belgium.
Décret relatif à la reconnaissance de la langue des signes
/ref>
See also
* Signed French
Signed French (''français signé'') is any of at least three manually coded forms of French that apply the words (signs) of a national sign language to French word order or grammar. In France, Signed French uses the signs of French Sign Langu ...
References
External links
www.lsfb.be
– Langue des signes de Belgique francophone
www.cfls.be
– Centre Francophone de la Langue des Signes
www.sourdlang.be
– dictionary
{{sign language navigation
Sign languages
Languages of Belgium
French Sign Language family