Vulcan salute - wikipedia Vulcan salute Leonard Nimoy demonstrating the Vulcan salute The Vulcan salute is a hand gesture popularized by the 1960s television series Star Trek. It consists of a raised hand with the palm forward and the thumb extended, while the fingers are parted between the middle and ring finger. Contents 1 Background 2 Gallery 3 `` Live long and prosper '' 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Background The Vulcan salute was devised by Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed the half - Vulcan character Mr. Spock on the original Star Trek television series. A 1968 New York Times interview described the salute or greeting gesture as a `` double - fingered version of Churchill 's victory sign ''. Nimoy said in that interview that he `` decided that the Vulcans were a ' hand - oriented ' people ''. The salute first appeared in 1967 on the Star Trek second season opening episode, `` Amok Time ''. Among other things, the gesture is known for being difficult for certain people to do properly without practice or the covert pre-positioning of the fingers, and actors on the original show reportedly had to position their fingers off - screen with the other hand before raising their hand into frame. This difficulty may stem from variations in individuals ' manual dexterity. Its reputation is parodied in the motion picture Star Trek : First Contact when Zefram Cochrane, upon meeting a Vulcan for the first time in human history, is unable to return the Vulcan salute gesture and instead shakes the Vulcan 's hand. The blessing gesture which is the inspiration for the Vulcan salute In his autobiography I Am Not Spock, Nimoy wrote that he based it on the Priestly Blessing performed by Jewish Kohanim with both hands, thumb to thumb in this same position, representing the Hebrew letter Shin ( ש ), which has three upward strokes similar to the position of the thumb and fingers in the salute. The letter Shin here stands for El Shaddai, meaning `` Almighty ( God ) '', as well as for Shekinah and Shalom. Nimoy wrote that when he was a child, his grandfather took him to an Orthodox synagogue, where he saw the blessing performed and was impressed by it. Others often greeted Nimoy with the salute, which became so well - known that in June 2014 it was added to version 7 of the Unicode standard as U + 1F596 🖖 RAISED HAND WITH PART BETWEEN MIDDLE AND RING FINGERS. The White House referenced the salute in its statement on Leonard Nimoy 's death, calling it `` the universal sign for ' Live long and prosper '. '' The following day, NASA astronaut Terry W. Virts posted a photo on his Twitter feed from the International Space Station showing the hand gesture ( with the Earth in the background ) as the ISS passed over Nimoy 's birthplace of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Gallery NASA astronaut Terry W. Virts performs the Vulcan salute from the International Space Station on February 27, 2015, shortly after hearing of Nimoy 's death. Nimoy 's home town of Boston is seen directly below. ESA astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti on Feb. 28, 2015 tweeted this photo in a final salute to Leonard Nimoy. George Takei, a colleague of Nimoy who portrayed the Star Trek character Hikaru Sulu in the original series, salutes a crowd in 2011. Star Trek actor and writer Simon Pegg giving a Vulcan salute in 2016. `` Live long and prosper '' The accompanying spoken blessing, `` live long and prosper '' -- `` dif - tor heh smusma '' in the Vulcan language ( as spoken in Star Trek : The Motion Picture ) -- also appeared for the first time in `` Amok Time '', scripted by Theodore Sturgeon. The less - well - known reply is `` peace and long life '', though it is sometimes said first, with `` live long and prosper '' as the reply. In science fiction, the phrase ' live long ' first appeared in print in 1957 in Eric Frank Russell 's science fiction novel Wasp where it was used both as a greeting and as a farewell by a species of aliens called the Sirians. The phrase has been seen abbreviated `` LLAP ''. An ancient Egyptian blessing `` ankh wedja seneb '', while its verbatim translation is uncertain, uses the three symbols `` life '', `` prosperity '' and `` health '' ; it has been translated as `` may he live, be prosperous, be healthy. '' The New International Version of the Bible, Deuteronomy 5 : 33, includes the phrase `` live and prosper '' as part of Moses ' admonitions to the Hebrew people prior to entering Canaan ; other translations include the notion of long life as well. William Shakespeare 's 1594 Romeo and Juliet contains the line, `` Live and be prosperous : and farewell good fellow '', spoken by Romeo to Balthasar, his friend and servant. The benediction `` live and prosper '' is attributed to the 18th - century organized crime figure Jonathan Wild in his 1725 biography written by `` H.D., '' possibly a pseudonym for Daniel Defoe. In Trilby, by George du Maurier ( published in 1894 ), a description of an art student ends with the sentence, `` May he live long and prosper ! '' See also Star Trek portal Judaism portal Vulcan changeup, baseball pitch Open Hand Monument, conceived in 1948 by Le Corbusier, developed in 1964, and completed in 1985 References Jump up ^ Diehl, Digby ( 1968 - 08 - 25 ). `` Girls All Want To Touch The Ears ''. The New York Times. p. 173. Retrieved 27 February 2015. Jump up ^ `` Leonard Nimoy : ' Star Trek ' fans can be scary ''. Hero Complex. Los Angeles Times. May 11, 2009. Retrieved May 14, 2009. Jump up ^ Burr, Ty ( 2015 - 02 - 27 ). `` Leonard Nimoy, 83 ; was TV 's iconic Mr. Spock ''. The Boston Globe. Retrieved 1 March 2015. Jump up ^ West, Andrew ( October 20, 2013 ). `` What 's new in Unicode 7.0 ? ''. Retrieved January 17, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Unicode 7.0 introduces 2,834 new characters, including 250 emoji ''. Ars Technica. Jump up ^ `` Statement by the President on the Passing of Leonard Nimoy ''. whitehouse.gov. Jump up ^ `` ☀ Astronaut Pays Perfect Tribute To Spock From Outer Space ☀ - Ebuzz New - US Top News, Photos, Videos, Live Buzz & Breaking News ''. ebuzznew.com. Jump up ^ `` Theodore Sturgeon ''. Gary Westfahl 's Biographical Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Film. The SF Site. Archived from the original on 2009 - 09 - 13. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 30. In that episode, ( Sturgeon ) also wrote one of the series ' standard catchphrases, the Vulcan greeting ' Live long and prosper. ' Jump up ^ Leonard Nimoy ( 2015 - 02 - 22 ). `` @ TheRealNimoy ''. Twitter. Archived from the original on 2015 - 03 - 06. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 04. A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP Jump up ^ `` Leonard Nimoy Dies at the age of 83 ''. Renegade Cinema. 2015 - 02 - 27. Archived from the original on 2015 - 02 - 27. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 30. Jump up ^ `` ' Star Trek ' Star Leonard Nimoy Dead At 83 ''. The Huffington Post. 2015 - 02 - 27. Archived from the original on 2015 - 03 - 31. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 30. Jump up ^ Gardiner, Alan ( 1957 ). Egyptian Grammar. Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum, p. 239 Jump up ^ New International Version, Holy Bible, Deuteronomy 5 : 33, copyright 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Jump up ^ Act V. Sc iii. Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare, William. Folger Shakespeare Library Edition. 1992. Jump up ^ Shakespeare, William ( 1594 ). `` Romeo and Juliet, Act V, Scene 3 : : Open Source Shakespeare ''. opensourceshakespeare.org. George Mason University. Archived from the original on 2013 - 09 - 29. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 30. Romeo : So shalt thou show me friendship. Take thou that : Live, and be prosperous : and farewell, good fellow. Jump up ^ Originally published in 1725 by T. Warner in London. H.D. late Clerk to Justice - H.D., Defoe, Daniel, attributed name ( October 2007 ) ( 1725 ). The Life of Jonathan Wild, from His Birth to His Death ( 2nd ed. ). Ann Arbor, MI, US : University of Michigan. p. 24. Archived from the original on 2014 - 08 - 09. Retrieved 2015 - 03 - 30. Before the Sessions, Jonathan, tho ' retain 'd on the other Side of the Cause ; visits Mr. Powell, tells him of the dangerous Circumstances he was in, and at the same Time enquires into the Value of his personal Estate ; the Thief apprehended his meaning, and made him sensible that forty Pounds should not part them, ( for it seems this Fellow never came into Jonathan 's Books ) whereupon the Bargain was struck, the Money paid down, and Mr. Wild left him with this Blessing, Live and prosper. CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list ( link ) Jump up ^ George Du Maurier ( 2009 ) ( 1894 ). Trilby. Oxford University Press. p. 99. Also, he went into good society sometimes, with a dress - coat on, and a white tie, and his hair parted in the middle ! But in spite of these blemishes on his otherwise exemplary record as an art student, he was the most delightful companion - the most affectionate, helpful, and sympathetic of friends. May he live long and prosper ! External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vulcan salute. Vulcan salute at Memory Alpha ( a Star Trek wiki ) Gershom, Yonassan ( 2009 ). Jewish Themes in Star Trek. Archived from the original on 2012 - 07 - 05. Retrieved 28 February 2015. A page by Rabbi Yonassan Gershom, with photos and diagrams of how the Salute forms the Hebrew letter Shin, the use of the Blessing Hands gesture on Jewish gravestones and jewelry, etc. Yiddish Book Center ( Feb 27, 2015 ). `` Nimoy Explains Origin of Vulcan Greeting ''. Wexler Oral History Project. Remembering Leonard Nimoy. New York Times. Leonard Nimoy on the Jewish provenance and cultural impact of the Vulcan salute Gestures Friendly gestures Air kiss Applause Cheek kiss Dap Elbow bump Eskimo kiss Finger heart Fist bump Forehead kiss Hand heart Handshake Hand wave Hat tip High five Hongi ILY sign Kiss Liberian snap handshake Namaste OK Pinky swear Pound hug Shaka Thumb signal Gestures of respect Adab Añjali Mudrā Bow Curtsey Gadaw Genuflection Hand - kiss Kowtow Kuji - in Mano Mudra Namaste Pranāma Prostration Sampeah Sembah Schwurhand Wai Zolgokh Salutes Bellamy salute Nazi salute Raised fist Roman salute Scout sign and salute Three - finger salute Two - finger salute Vulcan salute Zogist salute Celebratory gestures Applause Crossed hands Fist pump High five Victory clasp V sign Finger - counting Finger binary Chinese number gestures Chisanbop Obscene gestures Anasyrma Bras d'honneur Cornuto Fig sign Finger Mooning Mountza Reversed V sign Shocker Thumb / index - finger ring Wanker Taunts Akanbe Finger Loser Talk to the hand Head motions Head shake Head bobble Nod Other gestures Air quotes Allergic salute Aussie salute Awkward turtle Crossed fingers Facepalm Eyelid pull Finger gun Gang signal Hand - in - waistcoat Hand rubbing Jazz hands Laban sign Merkel diamond Pointing Pollice verso Shrug Sign of the cross Sign of the horns Related List of gestures Mudras Articulatory gestures Manual communication Nonverbal communication Sign language Surya Namaskara Star Trek Outline Timeline Canon Television series The Original Series episodes The Animated Series episodes The Next Generation episodes Deep Space Nine episodes Voyager episodes Enterprise episodes Discovery episodes Feature films The Original Series The Motion Picture The Wrath of Khan The Search for Spock The Voyage Home The Final Frontier The Undiscovered Country The Next Generation Generations First Contact Insurrection Nemesis Reboot ( Kelvin Timeline ) Star Trek Into Darkness Beyond Setting Characters A -- F G -- M N -- S T -- Z Concepts Games Kobayashi Maru Law Prime Directive Materials Dilithium Sexuality Pon farr Stardate Locations Galactic quadrant Mirror Universe Planets A -- B C -- F G -- L M -- Q R -- S T -- Z Cultures and species Andorian Bajoran Borg Breen Cardassian Dominion Ferengi Rules of Acquisition Gorn Kazon Klingon language Maquis Orion Q Romulan Species 8472 United Federation of Planets Starfleet Academy Section 31 Tribble Vidiians Vulcan nerve pinch salute Xindi Technology Communicator Deflector shields Holodeck Hypospray Impulse drive LCARS Medicine Replicator Spacecraft Deep Space Nine Defiant Earth Spacedock Enterprise NX - 01 NCC - 1701 Shuttlecraft Voyager Starships ordered by class Transporter Tricorder Uniforms Warp drive Weapons Bat'leth Production List of staff Gene Roddenberry Norway Corporation Composers and music musical theme `` Where no man has gone before '' `` Beam me up, Scotty '' Redshirt Unmade projects The God Thing Planet of the Titans Phase II Spin - off fiction Games Literature Comics Novels Reference books Stage A Klingon Christmas Carol Klingon opera Documentaries Trekkies Mind Meld Trekkies 2 How William Shatner Changed the World Beyond the Final Frontier The Captains Trek Nation To Be Takei For the Love of Spock Cultural influence Comparison to Star Wars Crossovers Fandom productions expanded universe Kirk and Uhura 's kiss Kirk / Spock Memory Alpha The Exhibition The Experience Book Portal Leonard Nimoy Films directed Star Trek III : The Search for Spock ( 1984 ) Star Trek IV : The Voyage Home ( 1986 ) Three Men and a Baby ( 1987 ) The Good Mother ( 1988 ) Body Wars ( 1989 ) Funny About Love ( 1990 ) Holy Matrimony ( 1994 ) Discography Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock 's Music from Outer Space `` The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins '' Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy The Way I Feel The Touch of Leonard Nimoy The New World of Leonard Nimoy Books I Am Not Spock I Am Spock Shekhina Other Mind Meld ( 2001 documentary ) For the Love of Spock ( 2016 documentary ) Symphony Space Family Sandra Zober ( first wife ) Adam Nimoy ( son ) Susan Bay ( second wife ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Vulcan_salute&oldid=837323852 '' Categories : Vulcans Greetings Hand gestures Salutes Leonard Nimoy Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Multiple names : authors list Use mdy dates from January 2014 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Español Esperanto Euskara Français 한국어 Italiano עברית Nederlands Polski Português Русский Simple English Svenska Українська 中文 7 more Edit links This page was last edited on 20 April 2018, at 03 : 11. 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Question: where did spock's hand sign come from
Answer: devised by Leonard Nimoy, who portrayed the half-Vulcan character Mr. Spock on the original Star Trek television series