| Croatian Sign Language | |
|---|---|
| Hrvatski znakovni jezik | |
| Native to | Croatia |
Native speakers | 6,500 (2019)[1] out of 20,000 deaf[1] |
| |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | csq |
| Glottolog | croa1242 |
Croatian Sign Language (Croatian: Hrvatski znakovni jezik, HZJ[2][3]) is a sign language of the deaf communityinCroatia.[4][5] It has in the past been regarded as a dialect of Yugoslav Sign Language, although the dialectical diversity of the former Yugoslavia has not been assessed.[6]
The first school for the deaf in Croatia was formed in Zagreb in 1885.[7] The Sign Language and Deaf Culture conference was held in Zagreb, Croatia from May 3–5, 2001.[8] In 2004, a project to establish a grammar of HZJ was started by researchers at Purdue University and the University of Zagreb.[9]
By law Croatian Radiotelevision is to promote the translation of programs into HZJ.[10] Major centres of education in HZJ are found in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, and Osijek.[11]
Organizations for the deaf in Croatia include the Croatian Association of Deafblind Persons DODIR, which was established in 1994.[12]
The basic word order in HZJ is subject–verb–object (SVO), as it is in spoken Croatian.[13]Atwo-handed manual alphabet is in widespread use; a one-handed alphabet based on the international manual alphabet, though less commonly used, has official status.[6][14][15]
