Body language

There is a whole range of body language with which people communicate wordlessly.

Who does not know the meaning of a friendly smile, a nod of approval, an angry frown or a don’t know shrug. A different type of shrug may be saying I don’t care or who knows? The shaking of the head vertically may mean an affirmative, while if the head moves from side to side the answer may be no. An extended hand is a sign of friendship, open arms a welcome, and a raised palm may command a stop.

The finger sealing the lips makes even the universally understood shh … quite unnecessary; and different motions of the fingers can indicate come, or he is crazy or something impolite or even obscene.

The unspoken vocabulary in fact is so extensive that two persons who do not understand each other’s languages, can practically converse by communicating with only their hands and facial expressions.

Deaf people must depend on visual communication. It is possible for many to lip-read, that is to know what words a speaker is using by watching his/her lips.

But for speaking with each other, deaf-mutes use a manual alphabet, a system of finger positions, each of which represents a letter.
Forming words and sentences like this may seem to be a painstaking way of communicating, but it is surprising how efficient the system is once it becomes second nature.

[Adapted from Symbols and Their meaning by Rolf Myller]