Gesture
Related: communication - body
Definition
A Gesture is a form of non-verbal communication made with a part of the body, and used instead of verbal communication (or in combination with it). Many gestures have offensive import; the language of gesture is rich in ways for individuals to express contempt, hostility, or approval towards others. Most people use gestures and body language in addition to words when they speak; some ethnic groups and languages use them more than others do, and the amount of such gesturing that is considered culturally acceptable varies from one location to the next. These gestures include acts such as pointing, one of the few gestures whose meaning varies little from one country to the next, as well as using the hands and body to keep time with the rhythms of speech and emphasize certain words or phrases. Most of these gestures have no invariable or specific meaning; the gestures listed below have such a meaning in the cultures in which they are found. The gestures we use as we speak are integrally connected to both our speech and our thought processes; prominent researchers in this field include Susan Goldin-Meadow and David McNeill. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesture [Sept 2004]
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