The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-11-18
GESTURE LANGUAGE.
PEOPLE WHO EXPRESS IDEAS WITH
THEIR HANDS AND FINGERS.

Significant Motions OF School Children
Hebrew Trademarks Contempt.
TIN deaf mute IS by no means the only person
who uses his fingers and hands as medium
OF conversation. Among Oriertals and
many European nations, especially those OF
tho Latin race. gestures form an important
part in the Transmission Of ideas and infor.
nation, the story going that the proceedings
in an Arabian court Of justice are often
transacted without the utterance of a single
word
A peculiar instance OF the set use Of ges-
lures is related in an old volume Of Once a
Week. IL seems that Turkish nial steamer
proceeding from Constantinople to Cavalla
lost her way, although the trip was taken ia
full daylight, and notwithstanding that a
number OF naval officers were on board
These Osmanl officers were noticed strug-
Cling with a chart IN the saloon and every now
and then one of them would rush up to tho
deck only to return without word, but with
the sarnc unvarying gesture. The right hand
was held with the fingers pointing upward,
as II 10 raise a plate fGt on their tips. and
raised to the level Of the tempe, short turn
being given TO the wrist as though TO set the
plato spinning. The gesture meant per
| plexity or in plain words that they
had lost their way. Had the officers
in this ludcrous predicament been Amer
lean or English, one would have shrugged
his shoulders. second would have scratched
his poll, a third rubbed his forehead and -
on. Here each befezzed gentleman made the
same gesture, repeated, in fact, national
sign.
The write. Of the article next morning
asked several OF the same officers what hal
become Of a small gunboat that had been
bearing them company. Every one replied
with Il short hatchct movement II the right
hand, gradually increasing the length Of the
chop This meant that the boat had gone
away, and the same gesture, it was found,
was repeated throughout Turkey whenever
1t was wished &c intimate that some one or
something had departed.
AMONG ORIENTAL NATIONS.
Among nearly all Oriental nations the
hands crossed over the breast is an unfailing
gesture to indicate humility or subseryience.
while the finger placed horizontally to the !
temple and held there for n brief space |
means Do you understand when put in I
the form Of question, or the perception or /
suspicion Of hidden meaning, or the detec- |
ton or appreciation Of some secret design |
when used as Il remark In sohloquy.
South Italy is the true home of the gesture.
many Of them having directly opposite mean
ings TO those with which We are accustomed 10
invest thcm. Toshal.c the head, for instance.
both there and in Turkey. is not taken as a
negative, but means II don't understand.
What DO you wantf mo- in Italy is ex-
pressed by elevatiug the chin, protruding the
lower lip a little and scraping the under side
Of the chin with the tips of the right hand
fingers. holding the knuckles outward and
the fingers slightly bent.
Death is expressed IN southern Italy by
making the sign of the cross with the first
Two fingers of the right hand held together
upright before the face that being the final
lction Of the priest when administering tho
asst sacrament or extreme urction 10 the
noribund The same two fingers held in the
anne position without the sign Of the cross is
he gesture that is used by the priests Of the
'atholic faith 20 accompany the Pax Vobis-
'um, and means the same thing, even when
lot accompanied by words \ gesture of
cry different Specification is that Of holding
Up tho first and little fingers with the rest
losed This Is used alike - exercise the
'owcr of the evil spirit or the evil eve and %
asst an unholy charm uDou an enemy
In this country ggc becion with the hand or
niger up. in South ltaly@that i, q SALVATION
nd the fingers in reckoning are held down
nd moved quickly toward the body The
ommand b "go' Is given by tie hand held
o the same position. that is. with the fingers
to the ground and shaken from
he wrist IN the direction which the party IS s,
10 take With u, as Of course :
known by the reader the arm is held out I
and tue index finger pointed .
J that direction
OTHER SIGNIFICANT GESTURES. I
The gesture signifyins "huugcr,' or ~ am !,
ungry, or "let us eat" Is % extend tho
numb and the first finger, keeping the others
osed over the mouth and giving The wrist
ight rotary motion To-Day" is indicated
y closing all tho fingers OF tho right hand !
zcept the index. then pointing downward. \
aking a slight but rapid movement OF the :
and from the wris5 up and down The ges- =
ire signifyng, tomorrow Is tho same, ex- l.
pit that the motion is made from the elbow. T.
Gestures are not unknown to the Anglo \
ixOn race, and we have two or three that :
e very expressive To put the thumb 10 j,
e nose for instance, with all the fingers ex- -
nded, means contempt and dersion, and Is /,
generally accepted as meaning this very n
that tho person employing IL ~
kes care as a rule, 10 mako II behind the I,
eek Of the person insulted Among Ameri- 4,
n school children there is q gesture made IT
passing the f0refuger OF tho right hand y,
ickly over that OF the left, which means. 4
Tic, for shameI' the person Sd slammed being
tinted at by the index finger IN repose Tho
hOOl children OF San Francisco occasionally
iploy gesture which Is OF French origin. II
le thumb Of the right hand Is lifted 10 tho L.
)uth with tue ball pointing outward. and V
o nail drawn forward from tho teeth with Il
light click II means. Il don't care any v
)re for you, or "Our friendship is broken.p II
lis is precisely the same gesture used By the Of
ench grisetto 10 indicate much the same bJ
ing az
There is a gesture that is quite common Ii
long Hebrew tradesnen Of the lower class
at has also received stage notoriety 1t is
1t Of throwing up the right hand on a
'el with the head with the fingers extended IL
d tho palms in, with a waving motion u
IN the wrist. IL means contempt while {.