The Swiss Association of the Deaf has chosen a Sign of the Year for the fifth time in a row. After “Trump” in 2016, “Roger Federer” in 2017, “Alain Berset” in 2018 and “Greta Thunberg” in 2019, the sign language community unsurprisingly opted for the sign “Coronavirus” this year.
The choice was practically undisputed after the pandemic had such a major impact on people’s lives in Switzerland and around the world this year, according to the Deaf Association. The same sign for “Coronavirus” has become established in a wide variety of sign languages around the world.
Dr. Tatjana Binggeli, President of the Swiss Association of the Deaf, explains: “Like all other languages, sign languages are always connected to current events and they are constantly evolving.”
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