Sign languages of Iran

I am Nargess Asghari. I came to the Netherlands in 2017 to study Linguistics at Leiden University. I wrote my pre-master’s and master’s theses on Iranian Sign Language and Berbey Sign Language (an emerging family sign language in the village of Berbey, Mali), respectively, under the supervision of Dr. Victoria Nyst.

My name sign is formed by placing a 5-hand (fingers extended and wide apart) in front of the forehead (palm faces the forehead, fingers point slightly downward) and moving it diagonally (contra-laterally and downward) twice with a small movement, as in the avatar.

About my PhD project

In 2020 I started my PhD at the Leiden University Centre for Linguistics (LUCL). My PhD supervisors are Dr. Victoria Nyst and Prof. Sjef Barbiers.

My PhD research is on an emerging village sign language in Iran. I explore the extent to which (if at all) the verbal system of this sign language may have been influenced by that of the surrounding spoken language due to the contact between the two language modalities. I also compare parts of the lexicon and verbal system of this village sign language with the lexicon and verbal system of the national sign language (Iranian Sign Language).

Later, I present the outcomes of my research here.