Non-verbal languages

We live in a world surrounded by a huge population of mankind and we need to communicate with each other at all times. But verbal communication using well-known world languages isn’t the only way to connect with others. There are plenty of ways to communicate without mouthing any kind of word such as sign languages, code languages and by using symbols, as language is just a structure made by humans to communicate with each other. Non-verbal languages often include gestures and expressions and they have some specific uses too.

In day to day life, we are surrounded by signs and symbols, we look at some of them and instantly recognize them, for example, traffic signals and there are some for which we’ll have a hard time understanding. Now the languages having signs, symbols and codes as prominent features are commonly used by the military, sports officials and people with disabilities. 

Some of the non-verbal languages are :

  • The electric telegraph: Samuel Morse got the idea to transmit mail using electricity. Thus a telegraph line was built from Washington D.C to Baltimore and a message was transmitted through it, which got interpreted successfully. After this, the electric telegraph spread across the U.S leading to the first successful cable laid across the Atlantic ocean connecting the U.S to Great Britain.
  • Wireless Telegraphy: This update was introduced by Guglielmo Marconi who built the first commercial wireless telegraphy system that ran on radio transmissions. This is still practised in some military bases when other systems of communication break down.
  • Morse code: Samuel Morse developed a system of dots and dashes to use for an electric telegraph. In morse code, each alphabet is represented by something short and something long where “something” can be: “dots and dashes’ ‘ or “dit and dah”. Morse code was soon adopted by radio operators worldwide and called International Morse code. The code is no longer used with military or governments but is still in use with radio bands.
  • Wigwag: This signal language works on morse code but instead of alphabets, a flag is used here and is swung in a certain way to obtain the dit or dah.
  • Semaphore: Semaphore is considered the quickest way to send flag signals when coming to a skilled signaler but does have its disadvantages such as, it cannot be used during nighttime and can only be used for short distances. Also, the sender and receiver should be in each other’s plain sight. Semaphore is signalled through a pair of hand-held flags, paddles or disks.
  • Nautical Flags: also known as maritime signals flags. These are generally used in ships for emergencies, for communicating with other ships, to make requests, or to give any warnings for upcoming hazards. Here, each flag represents a different alphabet and they can be arranged to spell a message.
  • American Sign Language(ASL): This is a language generally used by people who are deaf or cannot speak physically. Different countries have different sign languages and ASL is the language used by the deaf community in the U.S and some other parts of the world. It is a visual language that originated about 200 years ago when the first school for the deaf community was opened. It is a living language and keeps growing by adding more dialects into it.
  • Braille Code: It is a code language in which letters or numbers are written by raised dots or points and can be read by touch. Each language has its braille code. This code was invented by Louis Braille who lost his eyesight in an accident. When discussing braille language, a significant personality that comes into the mind is- Helen Keller, she was only 19 months old when she lost her ability to hear or see due to a serious illness but she always had a keen interest in literature. So she learnt sign language and braille when she was only 10 years old and soon became the first deaf-blind person in the world to earn a bachelor’s degree. She then became an author, a lecturer, a political activist and an inspiration for all.

References: