In 2019 the first volume of the LSS Dictionary was published. It is the result of a long collaboration between the Association of the Deaf of Seychelles (APHI), the INJS of Paris, the University of Lille, and the Creole Institute.
It includes a general presentation of the LSS, a directory of 850 words, a basic grammar and an index, all parts are written in the 3 languages of the Seychelles: Creole, French and English.
The dictionary is currently being distributed locally in hard copy and will be available online in the resources of the Creole Culture Research Group at the University of Seychelles. It can also be downloaded from several scientific publication sites.
At the beginning of the 2000s, in the classroom for deaf pupils, a teacher imposed the use of LSF dictionary of Reunion Island. Deaf adults of Seychelles then became aware that it did not correspond to their way of signing, that they had their own signs which should not be abandoned!
From there was born the LSS dictionary project: the aim to preserve, transmit, develop the uses of the LSS, to make it a language of integration of the Deaf and a language of sharing with the hearing people.
In order for the Deaf of the Seychelles to take charge of the operations, a team of young Deaf people from APHI was trained on the spot, through skills transfer. They were thus able to record the speakers, extract the signs, illustrate and archive them. They will be able to continue the work!
This dictionary is a major asset for the next step targeted by the deaf in Seychelles: the recognition of LSS as the 4th official language in Seychelles.
Alain Gébert, Annie Risler. A dictionary and grammar of SEYCHELLOIS SIGN LANGUAGE. 2019. ⟨hal-02986623⟩