<Tr> <Th> Glottolog </Th> <Td> aust1271 </Td> </Tr> <P> Auslan / ˈɒz læn / is the sign language of the Australian Deaf community . The term Auslan is an acronym of "Australian Sign Language", coined by Trevor Johnston in the early 1980s, although the language itself is much older . Auslan is related to British Sign Language (BSL) and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL); the three have descended from the same parent language, and together comprise the BANZSL language family . Auslan has also been influenced by Irish Sign Language (ISL) and more recently has borrowed signs from American Sign Language (ASL). </P> <P> As with other sign languages, Auslan's grammar and vocabulary is quite different from English . Its development cannot be attributed to any individual; rather, it is a natural language that developed organically over time . </P> <P> The number of people for whom Auslan is their primary or preferred language is very difficult to determine . According to the 2001, 2006 and 2011 Censuses published by Australian Bureau of Statistics, the population of Auslan users in Australia have increased by 54.57% thus debunking the speculation that Auslan is an endangered language . As of 2011, the Census population of Auslan users in Australia is 9723 - an increase of 4417 new users from the 2001 Census . Based on this statistical trajectory, it is expected that the number of people for whom Auslan is their primary or preferred language could exceed 12000 in the 2016 Census . Although the number is increasing, approximately 5% of all Auslan users are acquiring the language from their parents with the rest learning the language from other peers such as friends or colleagues later in life . </P>

Is australian and american sign language the same