Rennellese Sign Language
| Rennellese Sign Language | |
|---|---|
| Native to | Solomon Islands |
| Region | Rennell Island |
| Extinct | ca. 2000 |
none (home sign) | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | rsi (retired) |
rsi.html | |
| Glottolog | renn1236 |
| ELP | Rennell Island Sign Language |
Rennellese Sign Language is an extinct form of home sign documented from Rennell Island in the Solomon Islands in 1974. It was developed about 1915 by a deaf person named Kagobai and used by his hearing family and friends, but apparently died with him; he was the only deaf person on the island, and there never was an established, self-replicating community of signers. Accordingly, in January 2017 its ISO 639-3 code [rsi] was retired. Kuschel, the only source of information about this communication system, cites no evidence to suggest that there was any contact with any sign language.