Page Type: languageAfghan Sign Language | Ethnologue

AFG ISO 639-3

Afghan Sign Language

A language of Afghanistan

ISO 639
afg
Alternate Names
AFSL, Afghan Sign
Population
190,000 (2021). Estimated 115,000–230,000 signing deaf (0.3%–0.6% of the total population), depending on incidence of deafness, availability of education, and impact of war.
Location:
Balkh province: Mazar-e Sharif; Bamyan province: Bamiyan city; Herat province: Herat city; Kabul province: Kabul city; Kandahar province: Kandahar city; Laghman province; Nangarhar province: Jalalabad city and many surrounding districts; Parwan province; Takhar province: Faizabad. Most live in Kabul and Jalalabad.
Language Status
5 (Developing).
Classification
Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Dialects
None known. Influenced by American Sign Language [ase] used by foreign workers in some of the deaf schools in Afghanistan.
Language Use
Vigorous. Home, university, work. Used by all.
Language Development
Taught in at least 3 schools for the deaf in Afghanistan. Taught in primary and secondary schools. Videos. Dictionary.
Other Comments
Muslim.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Balkh province: Mazar-e Sharif; Bamyan province: Bamiyan city; Herat province: Herat city; Kabul province: Kabul city; Kandahar province: Kandahar city; Laghman province; Nangarhar province: Jalalabad city and many surrounding districts; Parwan province; Takhar province: Faizabad. Most live in Kabul and Jalalabad.