Didascalocophus or the Deaf and Dumb man’s tutor was written by George Dalgarno and published in 1680. It was intended as a language for the deaf and the mute that they could learn in order to better communicate with those who were not deaf and mute. It was also intended to be learned by those who were not deaf and mute so they could reciprocate the communication.
It provided visual learning in order to show how to use the language. The language was meant to be signed with one’s hands as opposed to being spoken. It is still used today in the United States and Europe as a form of communication for the deaf and mute though it is more likely known as sign language.
Emma Pitts
Work Cited
Cram, David. “Dalgarno, George (c.1616–1687).” Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Ed. H. C. G. Matthew and Brian Harrison. Oxford: OUP, 2004. Online ed. Ed. Lawrence Goldman. May 2006. 5 Nov. 2014 <http://www.oxforddnb.com/