The Canadian Dictionary of ASL

Ronald R. Henry is director of the School of Translators and
Interpreters at Laurentian University.

This handsome, voluminous book is a dictionary of American Sign Language
as it is used by Canadian Deaf people. More than 8700 signs are
illustrated. The illustrations and descriptions of hand signs and shapes
are clear and detailed. In the entry text, parts of speech are
identified and grammatical points are explained. Although one word is
usually rendered by one sign, there are variations. For example,
reflecting regional variations, some entry words are illustrated with
more than one sign. Still other words and expressions are not listed
because the concepts they denote are covered by other signs. In other
words, the signs of the Deaf do not necessarily structure the world
according to the structures of the English language. This book is
recommended for all public libraries.