1. Origin and History:
* DGS: Developed independently in Germany, primarily in the 18th century.
* ASL: Developed independently in the United States, primarily in the 19th century. It is heavily influenced by French Sign Language (LSF).
2. Grammar:
* DGS: Relies more heavily on word order to convey meaning, similar to spoken German. Verbs often come at the end of a sentence.
* ASL: Employs a more topic-comment structure, where the topic is introduced first, followed by a comment about it. Verbs can appear in various positions.
3. Sign Structure:
* DGS: Emphasizes handshape and movement as key components of signs. Signs often involve a precise combination of these elements.
* ASL: Focuses more on location and orientation in space. Signs are often made in relation to the signer's body or other objects in their environment.
4. Lexicon:
* DGS: Shares some signs with other European sign languages, especially those in Central Europe. It also includes signs that reflect German culture and terminology.
* ASL: Shares some signs with other sign languages influenced by LSF, but it also has its own distinct lexicon influenced by American culture.
5. Facial Expressions and Body Language:
* DGS: Facial expressions play a crucial role in conveying grammatical information, such as negation or question formation.
* ASL: Facial expressions are equally important, but they may differ in their specific interpretations depending on the context.
6. Sign Order:
* DGS: The order of signs can be relatively rigid, similar to German sentence structure.
* ASL: The order of signs is more flexible, with the emphasis on conveying meaning clearly rather than strict grammatical rules.
7. Cultural Influences:
* DGS: Reflects German culture, history, and society.
* ASL: Reflects American culture, history, and society.
8. Deaf Communities:
* DGS: Has a strong and active Deaf community in Germany.
* ASL: Has a strong and active Deaf community in the United States.
In Summary:
While both DGS and ASL are visual languages, they have distinct origins, grammatical structures, and lexicons. Their differences are influenced by the cultures and histories of their respective communities. It's important to acknowledge these differences and respect the unique characteristics of each language.