Let's Standardize the Sign Language Expression for 'Health Masks'
'Saliva-Blocking Mask' Adopted as Two Recommended Sign Language Terms
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the National Institute of the Korean Language announced on the 27th recommended sign language expressions for ‘health masks’ and ‘droplet-blocking masks.’ These two terms have been frequently used recently, but various expressions have been mixed, causing difficulties in accurate communication.
For ‘health masks,’ the recommendation was made by combining the ‘K’ and ‘F’ from the Korea Food and Drug Administration’s health mask grade standard label ‘KF (Korea Filter)’ with the sign for ‘mask.’ A Ministry of Culture official stated, “Deaf people sometimes use a sign combining only ‘K’ and ‘mask.’”
For ‘droplet-blocking masks,’ two sign language expressions were adopted as recommendations. One expresses a mask that blocks droplets, and the other uses the blue color of dental masks. Dental masks are representative masks with droplet-blocking functions.
A Ministry of Culture official explained, “We utilized color to reflect the cognitive structure of deaf people who conceptualize visually,” and added, “The sign for ‘blue’ following ‘mask’ follows the grammar of sign language, where modifiers generally appear as predicates after the noun they modify.”
The recommendations were prepared by the New Sign Language Group launched last March. This group consists of sign language experts including representatives from the Korea Association of the Deaf, sign language interpreters (public sign language interpreters and interpreters for the hearing impaired), sign language teachers, and linguistics specialists. They collect and review sign language expressions within the deaf community.
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The new sign language expressions will be used in government announcements (briefings) and other contexts. The Ministry of Culture and the National Institute of the Korean Language will continue to investigate the status of sign language use and select and distribute sign language expressions that have the potential for widespread use.
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