Why do people gesture with their hands when meeting people (or, better still, while talking to them on the phone)? And why is it that the gestures more often than not have no relation whatsoever to what they are supposed to be helping to describe or to the point they are meant to reinforce?
Even blind people gesture. My own personal opinion is that language began as gestural, perhaps accompanied by vocalization, and only gradually became, primarily vocal. My said her mother said that she (my wife) would be mute if you tied her hands. And people who are exposed to it seem to learn sign language just about as easily as spoken language.
Doper Stumper or just plain boring?
Hari, I appreciate the educated guess. It’s a start…
Bumping this puppy up and keeping fingers crossed.
People gesture because they are being expressive. Speech is part of expression, gestures are part, tone is part, other body language is part etc.
Hari: What would be your evidence that languages began as gestures? What would be your evidence that people exposed to Sign Language “seem to learn sign language just about as easily as spoken language” is anything other than an indication that Sign Language is just like any spoken language other than the means of conveyance?
IMHO hands become bored when you’re talking, those who don’t gesture do something else with them.
Monty: I’ll confess I had to read that one more than once…