The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1871-07-06
Gesture-Language In Italy.

IL Southern Italy there is current ven,
erahle story, which is here given with all
reserve. as the diplomats say; IN otner
words It is totally unworthy OF belleI' |
The storyis this: 4 stranger present at d
cabinet council IN Naples, alter some
silent pantomime had taken place.. asked
when business was going to begin, ana
was told that it was over. .,.
"But" objected the astonlshed stranger,
"nobody has said word
tTr,1e" /" was the answer; but surely
Won observed what was going on|
Il saw nothing going on,' sad the
stranger. "except a few shrugs ana grim
aces, and the king signing his name. lou
don't mean to say you call that pusIness! mes
"Of course" was the answer. W haC
the use of long lalk, when, we can ex-
press our meaning as well, ah~ iii'40
quickly, by signs" :
The story, though an ezaggeratlon, Is,
nevertheless, not so utterly absurd as II
seems to the English reader. southern
italians use a great deal of gesture While
sneaking: not because they are deaf or
dnmb, for they are quick of hearing, ever
lasting takers, and remarkably Intelligent,
hut because they have picturesque nstlncts
| and are not satisfied with expressing tneii
dos hv feeble words; while they satisfy
their natural impatience by using gestures
in lieu OF whole sentences, and can, ano
} do. occasionally carry on conversations
without any SD ech at all. For example
bsve seen man in balcony near TIT
5 ton of a house narrate entirely by gesture
his DAVIS adventures to friend on TN
ground floor Of house on the opposlU
;, side Of a street.
= The gesture-language is believed to b(
= in tne main, the same all the world over
= still in places widely apart, IN winch Ill
4 habits OF life are very different, It IS natt
:, raj to exnect a corresponding dltfe- renee
=. language which is plainly INITIATIVE an
% nothing else In Mr.. Tylor's work upo
- the Early History of Mankind, Whic
"A contains a very interesting account Oh III
n language, it is stated that, ACCORDING u !, u
= general practice of mankind, shaking II
- head is the sign for the negative " nc
II In Southern Italy, however, shaking Il
vi baa1 never means "NJ," but always,
= don't understand you; what do y,
~ ~ mean ," while "No" is expressed by el
In aa vating the chin and protrudiDg the und
- lin little; and a still stronger negatI
N nv the same movements, to which IS ada
IA scraning the under-side of the chin WI
0u the iins of the right-hand fingers, holdl
-, the knuckles outward, and the fng'
90 SLIGHTLY bent. In the curious affldaVlt
~ sunnort of the viii of a deat-and dui
W. W. man. unable to read and write, quoted
osa Mr. Tylor, which explains the signs III
ose by the testat0r to express his testament
60 wishes. it is to be observed that the ties
b;s tor expressed his death by laying the S
-ost of his head in the palm of his right ha
.aSn and then lowering the right hand, p'
~ ~ unward to the ground. In Southern 1t
,rs ',,s Catholic country, death is expressed
i5a making the sign of the cross with the
aI-r aur' two fincers of the right hand held
80 gether, upright, before the +
rcd that being the final action OF
a,r, nriest when administering
sacrament to dying person. The ges
,bea by which the English deaf and-du
Iace expressed his death would, emitting
.ror lowering of the hand, mean, IN Soutl
erals Italy, sleep In this country we beck
tifnI person toward by holding a hand or Il
the with the tips upward. In Southern l
milf. however. the tips are held downward,
1ieve the English manner Of beckonlng is
hr;I. for salutation. The verb go" is exp
his ed in Southern Italy by holding the
-lotte hand, the palm perpendicular, TO
Rms ground, and pointed in the intended
rsge- ton, and shaking the hand up and
from the wrist; while IN this countr
simply point with the index-finger
oney Sotbern italy, hunger Is expressed o.
policy tenolng lne lhuilo anu H..
many. ing the others closed, over the moutf
! and giving a rotary motion from the
The reader is at liberty to try this
any organ grinder he meets, and mai
When result To-day" is expressed by c
all the fingers of the right hand