South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-07-07
Gesture-Langusgs In Italy.

IL Southern Italy there is current ven
erable story, which is here given with all
reserve, as the diplomats say; in other
words, it is totally unworthy of belief
The storyis this: A stranger present at
cabinet-counGil n Naples, after some
silent pantomime had taken place, asked
when business was going to begin, and
was told that it was over.
"But," objected the astonished stranger,
"nobody has said word"
"TrT,e," was the answer; "but surely
YOU observed ahdt was going on?'
"I saw nothing going 0h,' said the
stranger, "except a few shrugs and grim
aces, and the king signing his name. You
dofi't mean to say you call that business :"
"Of course" was the answer. What's
the use of long lalk, when We can ex-
press our meaning as well, and more
quickly, by sigis."
The story, though an exaggeration, Is,
nevertheless, not so utterly absurd as 1t
seems to the English reader. Southern
Italians use a great deal of gesture while
speaking; no. because they are deaf or
dumb, for they are quick Of hearing, ever
lasting takers, and remarkably intelligent,
but because they have picturesque instincts
and are not satisfied with expressing their
ideas by feeble words; while they satisfy
their natural impatience by using gestures
in lieu OF whole sentences, and can, and
do, occasionally carry on conversations
without any sp9 ech at all. For example !:
ke-s seen man in balcony near the
ton of a house narrate entirely by gestures
his davis adventures to 8 friend on the
ground floor of a house on the opposite
side of a street.
The ees.ure-lansuage is believed to be,
in tine main. the saue all the world over ;
still, in places widely apart, III which the
habits off ,;;sc are very different, it is natu-
raj TO expect a corresponding difference in
a Ianpuape which is plainly initiative, and
nothing else. In Mr.. TylOr's work upon
the Early History of Mankind" which
contains a very interesting account of this
LANGUAGE, it is stated that, according to the
GENERAL practice of mankind, shaking the
head is the sign for the negative mo"
In Southern Italy, however, shaking the
head never means No." but always, l
don't understand you; what do you
mean ?" while mo" is expressed by ele-
waiting the chin and protTuding the under
lip little; and still stronger negative
by the sanlemovements, to which is added
scrapinp the under-side of the chin with
the lips Of the right-hand fingers, holding
the knuckles outward, and the fingers
slightly bent. In the curious affidavit IN
SUPPORT of the will of deaf fand-dumb
man, unable to read and write, quoted by
Mr.. Tylor, which explains the signs used
by the testator to express his testamentary
wishes, it is to be observed that the tesla
tor expressed his death by laying the side
of his head in the palm of his right hand
and then lowering the right hand, palm
upward, to the ground. In Southern Italy
a Catholic country, death is expressed by
making the sign of the cross with the first
two fingers of the right hand held to
gether, upright, before the face
| that being the final action of the
priest when administering thC
sacrament to dying person. The gesture
by which the English deaf and-dumb maj
expressed his death would, emitting tht
lowering of the hand, mean, in Southern
/ Italy, sleep. In this country we beckon
person toward by holding hand or finge
with the tips upward. In Southern Italy
however, the tips are held downward, anC
the English manner of beckoning is useC
for salutation. The verb ego" is express
ed in Southern Italy by holding the opel
hand, the palm perpendicular, to tn
ground, and pointed in the intended direc
ton, and shaking the hand up and dow
from the wrist; while in this country W
simply point with the index-fnger. L
Sothern italy, hunger is expressed by ez
tending the thumb and first finger, keeI
ing the others closed, over the mouth, an
giving a rotary motion from the wris
The reader is at liberty to try this upo
any organ-grinder he meets, and mark th
result. To-day" is expressed by closin
all the fingers Of the right hand excel