A Dictionary of New Zealand Sign Language-Purchase

This excellent dictionary of New Zealand Sign Language presents to the public for the first time in New Zealand history the actual language of the vibrant New Zealand Deaf Community (consisting of both Maori and non-Maori New Zealanders). It is a result of nearly 5-6 years of research and information gathering by 5 staff members at Victoria University of Wellington in cooperation with the Deaf Association of New Zealand and the many adult Deaf volunteers who helped made this dictionary possible.

It contains a listing of over 4,600 signs found to be of general and accepted usage by the New Zealand Deaf Community. Each sign entry has an English (or Maori) headword along with several synonymns, a picture of the sign, an English description of how to articulate the sign, some sentences to give an idea of the semantic scope of the sign, and a linguistic transcription of the sign. Also for each sign there are a list of symbols indicating in which three major cities (Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch) the sign has accepted usage.

The signs are all listed according to sign order rather than English word order, which gives the reader an interesting perspective to the language, and shows many important relationships between various signs.

Included in the dictionary are grammar notes, and history of the development of New Zealand Sign Language and the New Zealand Deaf community, explanation of the entries, a glossary, and an alphabetical index for all the English and Maori words listed in the dictionary.

This dictionary is an excellent resource for those wanting to learn New Zealand Sign Language, its grammar, and about the Deaf community in New Zealand

Reviewer: Richard C Arnold
Former Compilations Editor