Which sign language is historically related to ASL?

The correct answer is French Sign Language, as it is historically significant in the development of American Sign Language (ASL). In the early 19th century, a key figure in the establishment of ASL was Thomas Gallaudet, who traveled to Europe to learn about deaf education. He met with Laurent Clerc, a deaf educator from France, who was instrumental in bringing French Sign Language to the United States. When Gallaudet and Clerc founded the first American school for the deaf, they combined elements of French Sign Language with regional signs used by the American deaf community, leading to the creation of ASL.

This historical connection underlines the influence of French Sign Language on ASL’s grammar, vocabulary, and structure. Understanding this relationship highlights the importance of cultural exchange in the development of sign languages around the world. Other sign languages listed, such as British Sign Language, Spanish Sign Language, and Italian Sign Language, do not share the same historical ties to ASL and are based on different linguistic traditions and developments.