# Hand gestures **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 27, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-gestures/191175 "2003-07-27T01:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-gestures/191175/1 "2003-07-27T01:17:08Z")
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? ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-gestures/191175/2 "2003-07-27T01:26:45Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-gestures/191175/3 "2003-07-27T13:40:08Z")
Doper Stumper or just plain boring?šŸ™‚ **Hari** , I appreciate the educated guess. Itā€™s a startā€¦ Bumping this puppy up and keeping fingers crossed. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-gestures/191175/4 "2003-07-27T14:44:19Z")
People gesture because they are being expressive. Speech is part of expression, gestures are part, tone is part, other body language is part etc. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-gestures/191175/5 "2003-07-27T17:16:38Z")
Hari: What would be your evidence that languages began as gestures? What would be your evidence that people exposed to Sign Language ā€œseem to learn sign language just about as easily as spoken languageā€ is anything other than an indication that Sign Language is just like any spoken language other than the means of conveyance? ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-gestures/191175/6 "2003-07-27T18:18:41Z")
IMHO hands become bored when youā€™re talking, those who donā€™t gesture do something else with them. ---
**Author:** ![omni-not](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8dc957/32.png) [@omni-not](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omni-not)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-gestures/191175/7 "2003-07-27T20:25:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Monty \* > \*\*What would be your evidence that people exposed to Sign Language ā€œseem to learn sign language just about as easily as spoken languageā€ is anything other than an indication that Sign Language is just like any spoken language other than the means of conveyance? \*\* **Monty** : Iā€™ll confess I had to read that one more than onceā€¦šŸ˜ƒ