from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Dactylology \Dac`tyl*ol"o*gy\, n. [Gr. da`ktylos finger +
-logy.]
The art of communicating ideas by certain movements and
positions of the fingers; a form of sign language, especially
the manual alphabets used by the deaf and dumb.
[1913 Webster +PJC]
Note: There are two different manual alphabets, the one-hand
alphabet (which was perfected by Abb['e] de l'Ep['e]e,
who died in 1789), and the two-hand alphabet. The
latter was probably based on the manual alphabet
published by George Dalgarus of Aberdeen, in 1680. See
Illustration in Appendix.
[1913 Webster]