Dictionary of Gestures

Dictionary of Gestures PDF Author: Francois Caradec
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262547996
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 335

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Book Description
An illustrated guide to more than 850 gestures and their meanings around the world, from a nod of the head to a click of the heels. Gestures convey meaning with a flourish. A vigorous nod of the head, a bold jut of the chin, an enthusiastic thumbs-up: all speak louder than words. Yet the same gesture may have different meanings in different parts of the world. What Americans understand as the “A-OK gesture,” for example, is an obscene insult in the Arab world. This volume is the reference book we didn't know we needed—an illustrated dictionary of 850 gestures and their meanings around the world. It catalogs voluntary gestures made to communicate openly—as distinct from sign language, dance moves, involuntary “tells,” or secret handshakes—and explains what the gesture conveys in a variety of locations. It is organized by body part, from top to bottom, from head (nodding, shaking, turning) to foot (scraping, kicking, playing footsie). We learn that “to oscillate the head while gently throwing it back” communicates approval in some countries even though it resembles the headshake of disapproval used in other countries; that “to tap a slightly inflated cheek” constitutes an erotic invitation when accompanied by a wink; that the middle finger pointed in the air signifies approval in South America. We may already know that it is a grave insult in the Middle East and Asia to display the sole of one's shoe, but perhaps not that motorcyclists sometimes greet each other by raising a foot. Illustrated with clever line drawings and documented with quotations from literature (the author, François Caradec, was a distinguished and prolific historian of literature, culture, and humorous oddities, as well as a novelist and poet), this dictionary offers readers unique lessons in polylingual meaning.

Dictionary of Gestures

Dictionary of Gestures PDF Author: Francois Caradec
Publisher: MIT Press
ISBN: 0262547996
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 335

Get Book Here

Book Description
An illustrated guide to more than 850 gestures and their meanings around the world, from a nod of the head to a click of the heels. Gestures convey meaning with a flourish. A vigorous nod of the head, a bold jut of the chin, an enthusiastic thumbs-up: all speak louder than words. Yet the same gesture may have different meanings in different parts of the world. What Americans understand as the “A-OK gesture,” for example, is an obscene insult in the Arab world. This volume is the reference book we didn't know we needed—an illustrated dictionary of 850 gestures and their meanings around the world. It catalogs voluntary gestures made to communicate openly—as distinct from sign language, dance moves, involuntary “tells,” or secret handshakes—and explains what the gesture conveys in a variety of locations. It is organized by body part, from top to bottom, from head (nodding, shaking, turning) to foot (scraping, kicking, playing footsie). We learn that “to oscillate the head while gently throwing it back” communicates approval in some countries even though it resembles the headshake of disapproval used in other countries; that “to tap a slightly inflated cheek” constitutes an erotic invitation when accompanied by a wink; that the middle finger pointed in the air signifies approval in South America. We may already know that it is a grave insult in the Middle East and Asia to display the sole of one's shoe, but perhaps not that motorcyclists sometimes greet each other by raising a foot. Illustrated with clever line drawings and documented with quotations from literature (the author, François Caradec, was a distinguished and prolific historian of literature, culture, and humorous oddities, as well as a novelist and poet), this dictionary offers readers unique lessons in polylingual meaning.

Speak Italian

Speak Italian PDF Author: Bruno Munari
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 9780811847742
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
This quirky handbook of Italian gestures, first published in 1958 by renowned Milanese artist and graphic designer Bruno Munari, will help the phalange-phobic decipher the unspoken language of gestures--a language not found in any dictionary. Photos.

Dictionary of Worldwide Gestures

Dictionary of Worldwide Gestures PDF Author: Betty J. Bäuml
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780810831896
Category : Body language
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The second edition of the Dictionary of Gestures features a new introduction on the nature and function of gestures, substantially enlarged contents, a wider selection of sources, expanded commentary to many gestures, and more illustrations. It describes culturally transmitted gestures from printed and pictorial sources, arranging the descriptions according to the parts of the body executing the respective gestures as well as by their significance. Each entry includes basic bibliographic information, a brief geographical, chronological, or cultural indication of its provenance, and a concise note regarding its use or relationship to other gestures. With an index and a source list that includes the abbreviations used, the Dictionary of Worldwide Gestures will make an excellent addition to public library collections and university and college libraries that support anthropology or cultural studies.

The Semiotics of French Gestures

The Semiotics of French Gestures PDF Author: Genevieve Calbris
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
Everyone gestures while speaking, in a specific and generally unconscious manner. What are the functions of gestures? What relationship do they have to speech? How do gestures work to create meaning? In this valuable book, Geneviève Calbris undertakes to answer those questions. Based on the author's own extensive experimental research, The Semiotics of French Gestures presents a systematic description and a detailed semiotic analysis of French gestures. The book aims to establish a structual semantics of the set of gestures and facial expressions that accompany or replace spoken language. As this book demonstrates, the study of gesturing is indispensable to a full understanding of a foreign language and its use in real-life situations. The Semiotics of French Gestures will be a valuable source for scholars and students of communication, semiotics, linguistics, and languages.

The Definitive Book of Body Language

The Definitive Book of Body Language PDF Author: Barbara Pease
Publisher: Bantam
ISBN: 030748369X
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 402

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Book Description
Available for the first time in the United States, this international bestseller reveals the secrets of nonverbal communication to give you confidence and control in any face-to-face encounter—from making a great first impression and acing a job interview to finding the right partner. It is a scientific fact that people’s gestures give away their true intentions. Yet most of us don’t know how to read body language– and don’t realize how our own physical movements speak to others. Now the world’s foremost experts on the subject share their techniques for reading body language signals to achieve success in every area of life. Drawing upon more than thirty years in the field, as well as cutting-edge research from evolutionary biology, psychology, and medical technologies that demonstrate what happens in the brain, the authors examine each component of body language and give you the basic vocabulary to read attitudes and emotions through behavior. Discover: • How palms and handshakes are used to gain control • The most common gestures of liars • How the legs reveal what the mind wants to do • The most common male and female courtship gestures and signals • The secret signals of cigarettes, glasses, and makeup • The magic of smiles–including smiling advice for women • How to use nonverbal cues and signals to communicate more effectively and get the reactions you want Filled with fascinating insights, humorous observations, and simple strategies that you can apply to any situation, this intriguing book will enrich your communication with and understanding of others–as well as yourself.

Hand and Mind

Hand and Mind PDF Author: David McNeill
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226561348
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 432

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Book Description
A research subject is shown a cartoon like the 1950 Canary Row--a classic Sylvester and Tweedy Bird caper that features Sylvester climbing up a downspout, swallowing a bowling ball and slamming into a brick wall. After watching the cartoon, the subject is videotaped recounting the story from memory to a listener who has not seen the cartoon. Painstaking analysis of the videotapes revealed that although the research subjects--children as well as adults, some neurologically impaired--represented a wide variety of linguistic groupings, the gestures of people speaking English and a half dozen other languages manifest the same principles. Relying on data from more than ten years of research, McNeill shows that gestures do not simply form a part of what is said and meant but have an impact on thought itself.

A Dictionary of Gestures

A Dictionary of Gestures PDF Author: Betty J. Bäuml
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
Features a new introduction on the nature and function of gestures, substantially enlarged contents, a wider selection of sources, expanded commentary to many gestures, and more illustrations. It describes culturally transmitted gestures from printed and pictorial sources, arranging the descriptions according to the parts of the body executing the respective gestures as well as by their significance.

A Manual of Gesture

A Manual of Gesture PDF Author: Albert M. Bacon
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Gesture
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description


Grammar, Gesture, and Meaning in American Sign Language

Grammar, Gesture, and Meaning in American Sign Language PDF Author: Scott K. Liddell
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521016506
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 404

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Book Description
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Gestures

Gestures PDF Author: Roger E. Axtell
Publisher: Wiley
ISBN: 9780471183426
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
As featured in the New York Times and Reader's Digest "An eye-opener into the pitfalls awaiting the unaware traveler." -Washington Post "Can save the innocent abroad from great gobs of serious trouble." -Chicago Tribune Before you raise your hand to signal the waiter, extend your thumb to hitchhike, or flash the "O.K." sign with thumb and forefinger, Stop! Think of where you are and exactly what you are trying to say-otherwise you could create an international incident. Remember when President Bush thought he was flashing the "V" for Victory sign to cheering Australians? (See inside.) Exploring the ins and outs of body language from head to toe, this newly revised and expanded edition of Roger Axtell's indispensable guide takes you all around the world of gestures-what they mean, how to use them, and when to avoid them. This latest edition includes: * Updates about the 200 most popular gestures and signals-and dozens of new examples * New sections covering special gestures-from American Sign Language and tai chi to flirting and kissing * Information to guide you through gestures country by country-from Switzerland to Japan, Nigeria to the Netherlands * Amusing anecdotes and helpful hypothetical scenarios