OK gesture

Last updated

LG WHISEN sonyeonjae jimyeon gwanggo cwalyeong sajin (30) hand only.jpg
The OK gesture
Emoji u1f44c.svg
An emoji version of the gesture

The OK gesture, OK sign or ring gesture is a gesture performed by joining the thumb and index finger in a circle, and holding the other fingers straight or relaxed away from the palm. Commonly used by scuba divers, it signifies "I am OK" or "Are you OK?" when underwater. In most English-speaking countries it denotes approval, agreement, and that all is well or "okay". In other contexts or cultures, similar gestures may have different meanings including those that are negative, offensive, financial, numerical, devotional, political, [1] or purely linguistic.

Contents

Positive denotations

Classical use

Buddha statue in Thailand depicting the gesture as Vitarka Mudra. Buddha dvaravatistyle.jpg
Buddha statue in Thailand depicting the gesture as Vitarka Mudrā .

Ring gestures, formed by forefinger and thumb with remaining digits extended, appear in Greece at least as early as the fifth century BCE, and can be seen on painted vases as an expression of love, with thumb and forefinger mimicking kissing lips. When proffered by one person toward another in Ancient Greece, the gesture was of one professing their love for another, and the sentiment was conveyed more in the touching of fingertips than in the ring that they formed. [2] As an expression of assent and approval, the gesture can be traced back to first century Rome where the rhetorician Quintilian is recorded as having used it. [3] Quintilian's chironomy prescribed variations in context for the gesture's use during specific points of a speech: to open, give warning or praise or accusation, and then to close a declamation. [2]

Contemporaneously, the sign appeared throughout the Buddhist and Hindu diasporas as a symbol of inner perfection. Ethologist Desmond Morris posits that the joined thumb-and-forefinger communicates precision in grasping something literally or figuratively, and that the shape formed by their union represents the epitome of perfection—a circle—hence the gesture's transcultural message that things are "exactly right" or "perfect". [4]

In Naples, the gesture has been long used to symbolize love and matrimony, as was custom in neighboring Greece, but specifically with the palm upturned, while the gesture made with a downturned palm represents a hand holding the scales of justice. [2] [5] Across Italy, the gesture remained in use as one for making points in conversation when moved about to express discursive precision, but when held still in an upright position with fingers jutting skyward, it became an emblem of perfection. [2]

Early records of the sign's usage in the English-speaking world date to British physician-philosopher John Bulwer's 1644 Chirologia, "The naturall language of the hand composed of the speaking motions, and discoursing gestures thereof." [6] Among the many hand gestures detailed by Bulwer, he described one as "The top of the fore-finger moved to joyne with the naile of the Thumbe that's next to it, the other fingers in remitter," [7] and said that it was "opportune for those who relate, distinguish, or approve". [8]

"OK"

Caricature of Uncle Sam making the "OK" gesture in a cartoon for the 1900 Paris Exposition Uncle Sam OK.jpg
Caricature of Uncle Sam making the "OK" gesture in a cartoon for the 1900 Paris Exposition

By the early 19th century in the United States, the gesture was affiliated with the letters "O" (formed by the circle) and "K" (derived from the extended fingers). While it is not known exactly how the OK gesture and the corresponding verbal expression coalesced, the English professor Allen Walker Read dates the expression's rise in usage to an 1839 humor piece in the Boston Morning Post describing the expression "o.k." as meaning "all correct", suggesting comically misspelled initials, at a time when acronyms for misspelled words were in vogue. [9] Several other broadsheets in Boston, New York and Philadelphia ran with the expression in their own columns, some with misspellings of "all correct" such as oll korrect, bringing the phrase into the vernacular of American English.

The following year Democrats began using the phrase and its accompanying gesture in support of president Martin Van Buren's campaign for reelection. A native of Kinderhook, New York, Van Buren was widely known by his nickname, "Old Kinderhook", whose initials, "O.K.", were steadily gaining traction as an expression of approval. [10] In New York City, fans of Van Buren formed the O.K. Democratic Club and used the gesture as its sign, with the slogan of "O.K." bearing the double meaning in the club's catchphrase, "Old Kinderhook is all correct." Both phrase and gesture made their way into newspapers around the country via political cartoons, thus further spreading the expression. After Van Buren's defeat to William Henry Harrison, O.K. was briefly satirized as meaning "Owful Kalamity" or "Owful Katastrophe". [11]

As a gesture, its denotation is more positive than the word "OK", which may mean a thing is merely mediocre, satisfactory at only the most basic level, as in, "The food was OK." The gesture is commonly understood as a signal of approval, [10] and is sometimes used synonymously with the Western thumbs up gesture.

Scuba diving

Diver's signal meaning "Everything OK", used both as a question and as a response to that question. US Navy 100504-N-9818V-453 Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Rick West and divers from Southwest Regional Maintenance Center conduct pre-dive checks; hand signal "OK".jpg
Diver's signal meaning "Everything OK", used both as a question and as a response to that question.

In the communication used by scuba divers, the OK sign is specific in its meaning that "everything is OK" as regulated by the Recreational Scuba Training Council. Divers are taught to always use this sign and not the thumbs up gesture because the latter means that a diver needs to ascend. [12] The gesture is also used as a means of checking in, with one diver using it to ask another, "Everything OK?" and the response meaning, "Yes, everything is OK." [13]

At distances where the standard OK gesture may be hard to see, divers use larger signals as an alternative, either with one hand atop the head and the elbow bent out to the side, or with both hands touching above the head so that the arms form an "O" for "OK". [14] This full-body gesture is also used as "OK" in Japan where the single-handed gesture denotes monetary transactions instead of meaning "OK". [15] This two-armed OK gesture was added to Unicode in 2010 as U+1F646🙆FACE WITH OK GESTURE and became part of Emoji 1.0 in 2015. [16]

Money

Illustration from an 1880s account of gestures used in Mexico 211-04 she is pretty rich.jpg
Illustration from an 1880s account of gestures used in Mexico

In Japan, the one-handed ring gesture is used to symbolize money, [17] and in this context the fingers' circular shape represents a coin. [4] Sometimes the sign is used to avoid the verbal awkwardness in talking about or asking for money. [18] In other contexts, it can be used to imply a bribe or other illicit financial transactions, [19] [20] or signal an invitation to enter into business negotiations.

In other parts of the world the gesture can also express money, financial transactions, wealth or the priciness of an item. Records of the gesture being used to remark on a person's wealth or status are documented as practiced in Mexico during the late nineteenth century. [21]

Mudra

Wall painting depicting a vitarka mudra from the 9th century VitarkaMudra.JPG
Wall painting depicting a vitarka mudra from the 9th century

In yoga, the gesture is known as chin mudra ("the seal of consciousness") when the palm is face down, or jnana mudra ("the seal of wisdom") when the palm is face up or held in other positions, such as in front of the heart. Some schools of yoga use chin and jnana mudra interchangeably, while others claim that "the former produces a subtle feeling of rootedness, the latter a sense of lightness," [22] or that jnana "the passive receiving position" while chin "is an actively giving position". [23] In these mudras the middle, ring, and little fingers represent the three gunas of rajas, tamas, and sattva which, when in harmony, unite ātman and brahman , or the individual soul and universal soul. The pressing together of the thumb and forefinger represents that union—or "yoga"—of consciousness. [22] In Buddhism the gesture is called vitarka mudra ("the seal of discussion") and is used to emphasize the meaning of words. [23]

Sign language

Most sign languages combine hand shapes, movement, and position in relation to the rest of body, as well as additional body language and facial expression. As with other hand signs, the OK gesture may be combined with other elements to convey numerous meanings across multiple sign languages.

Monastic signing

Dating back to the tenth century in Europe, the gesture of thumb and forefinger forming a ring with the remaining fingers extended was used in a set of standardized ecclesiastical signs employed by Christian monks under vows of silence to represent numerous religious rites and objects. For example, when held out in front of oneself the gesture represented an oblation to God. When touched to the mouth it meant taking a meal. When added to the open-palmed sign for "book" it specified a hymnal, and the sign's O-shape represented the signing of an "O" that began many hymns. If the thumb and forefinger took hold of a specific part of one's own clothing or body such as the hood of a cowl, a lock of hair, or skin on the left hand, the gesture could stand for things as diverse as "monk" or "horse" or "parchment". [24]

Plains Indian Sign Language

An 1880 drawing of a person displaying the sign for "sun" in Plains Indian Sign Language Sun Sign.jpg
An 1880 drawing of a person displaying the sign for "sun" in Plains Indian Sign Language

In Plains Indian Sign Language (PISL), the gesture signifies the Sun when held up in front of the face or moved in an arc following the Sun's track. When held up to the sky and peered through, it is the sign for high noon. [25] A PISL primer printed in an 1888 issue of the Canadian residential school newspaper Our Forest Children specifies that the left hand be used to indicate sunrise and the right for sunset. [26] A more complicated series of movements with hands held in the gesture as if drawing a thread or stretching an elastic can signify death, or more specifically, "After a long time, you die." [27]

American Sign Language

In modern-day American Sign Language (ASL) the gesture can mean many different things depending on how it is applied. The pinching action of the thumb-and-forefinger frequently represents something small. For example, the sign for "housefly" is made by making the gesture mimic a fly buzzing around. [28] In ASL the gesture can also communicate a selection of some sort: When moved from one side to the other as if picking something up and placing it down, it means "appoint". When the joined thumb and forefinger of the gesture are placed into a hole made by the opposite hand, it means "vote". The sign for "elect" is formed by making the signs for "vote" and "appoint" in succession. [29]

Fingerspelling

The letter "F" in the American manual alphabet Sign language F.svg
The letter "F" in the American manual alphabet

In systems of fingerspelling used in sign languages, the handshape of joined thumb and forefinger represents various letters. The American manual alphabet reserves it for the letter F, while in both Irish and French Sign Languages, it represents the letter G. [30] In fingerspellings that represent Cyrillic alphabetical systems, such as the Ukrainian manual alphabet, the gesture represents the vowel O and reflects that letter's shape. [31] Similarly, the Korean manual alphabet uses the gesture for the Hangul letter ieung to reflect its pronunciation in spoken Korean. [32] In yubimoji , Japanese Sign Language's (JSL) manual syllabary, the gesture is the syllable me . [33]

Various fingerspelling systems may call for other specific features of the gesture beyond its joined thumb-and-forefinger with remaining fingers entended. For example, the ring in the sign for me in JSL is slightly tapered rather than rounded. [34]

Counting

In ASL, the OK gesture represents the number 9 when held in a stationary position with the palm facing away from the signer. [35] This ASL numerical sign is the last in a sequence of single-digit integers where quantities of fingers denote the numbers 1 through 5, and then the thumb touches each finger in turn to denote "6" (pinky finger), "7" (ring finger), "8" (middle finger), and finally "9" (index finger). When shaken from left to right, the sign for the number 9 becomes the number 19. [35]

In Plains Indian Sign Language, the gesture signifies the number 3 when held a bit lower than the signs used to represent the sun. [27] Regional forms of finger counting used in China also employ the raised middle, ring and pinky fingers to express the number 3, either with thumb and index fingers joined as they are in the OK gesture or in a similar configuration. [36] This number gesture is primarily used in China's southern provinces, while in the north, "3" may also be expressed by the raised index, middle, and ring fingers as it is in English-speaking countries. [37] Both methods are distinct from having the thumb, index and middle fingers extended as is used to denote "3" in much of mainland Europe, [38] because this represents the number 8 in both Taiwan and parts of mainland China. [39]

Greco-Roman chironomia also included a counting system in which the ring gesture stood for either "10", "30", "100", or "300", the exact number being determined by which hand was used and the exact point of contact between thumb and forefinger. [5]

The Prisoner

The gesture was given prominence in the 1967 British television series The Prisoner , in which a number of unnamed characters are held captive in a village. [40] Whenever these imprisoned villagers took leave of each other, they did so with the phrase "Be seeing you", accompanied by the gesture held up in front of their own eye as a reminder that despite any pretenses of freedom, they were all prisoners. [41] The gesture is also used as a greeting in the show without the "be seeing you" phrase. The series' lead actor Patrick McGoohan stated that the show had adopted the gesture from the sign of the fish used by early Christians. [42] [43]

As a film title

In 2010, South Indian film director Upendra Rao made a cinematic comeback with a film that fans called Super , but whose actual title was 👌. [44] Rao himself starred in his film as a non-resident Indian who returns to his homeland to turn the nation into a utopian society. [45] In depicting the film's title only as a hand symbol, Rao's intent was for the audience to name it, thinking that they might call it "Zero" or "Three", or associate it with Vitarka Mudra or the symbol for om (ॐ). [46] During the film's opening credit sequence, the Vitarka Mudra title transforms into a hand pointing at the viewer announcing the name of the director as "U".

Other denotations

United Macedonia Salute

The United Macedonia Salute, mirroring the Vergina Sun flag in the background United Macedonia salute.jpg
The United Macedonia Salute, mirroring the Vergina Sun flag in the background

In Europe's Balkan region, the OK gesture is known as the "United Macedonia Salute" in its association with irredentist campaigns for a united Macedonia. [47] For Macedonian nationalists the two fingers forming the "O" stand for the Macedonian word Обединета (Obedineta, meaning "United"), and the other three fingers symbolize the regions of Aegean Macedonia in northern Greece, Pirin Macedonia in southwestern Bulgaria, and the region of Vardar Macedonia that roughly corresponds to the Republic of North Macedonia's borders. [48] Taken together, the United Macedonia Salute also resembles the Vergina Sun that was the royal symbol of Ancient Macedonia. Both sun and salute became popular among Macedonian Greeks in the 1980s, and the sun appeared on the Macedonian flag after the Republic of Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia in 1992. Three years later Macedonia changed its flag under economic pressure from Greece, which saw the use of the Vergina Sun as a threat against Greek sovereignty. The United Macedonia Salute remains controversial among many people in the Balkan region, especially those living within parts of Greece or Bulgaria that Macedonian nationalists wish to claim as provinces for their country. [49]

Medical testing

The gesture is used by doctors to test functionality of the anterior interosseous nerve and seek indications of median nerve palsy in the hands. When performing the test, a patient makes the OK gesture with both hands. If the circle formed by one hand appears more pinched or less round than the other, it may indicate weakness in the nerve. [50] [51]

A similar medical test, known as Froment's sign, is used to test for palsy on the ulnar nerve. To perform the test, a patient holds a piece of paper between their forefinger and thumb, and the examiner attempts to pull it out of the patient's grip. [52] If ulnar nerve palsy is present, the patient will have difficulty maintaining their hold and may compensate by flexing the thumb to add more pressure. [53]

Corporate logos

The gesture has been used as a design element in several corporate and organizational logos. These include the Piramal Group, Bharat Petroleum, and Adlabs Studios, all headquartered in India. [54] It is also used as a branding logo of Okamoto Industries line of condoms. [55]

Chef's kiss

The chef's kiss Chef icon.svg
The chef's kiss

The chef's kiss is a sign that means "perfection" in the context of food. It is a hand gesture from the mouth, sometimes with the thumb and forefingers. [56] Other times the chef's kiss is merely communicated with an OK sign near the face. [57]

"The circle" game

"The circle" positioned below the waistline as it appears in the circle game Tondo.jpg
"The circle" positioned below the waistline as it appears in the circle game

The OK gesture is key feature of a popular school prank called "the circle game". Someone who initiates the game makes the gesture below their own waistline and tries to trick an opponent into looking at it. If the person looks at it, the maker of the gesture gets to punch their opponent in the arm. In one variation, a player who can insert their own index finger into the circle without looking at it may punch the circle-maker. [58]

The circle game is reported to have been played in schoolyards across the United States since at least around the 1970s-1980s, and came to particular prominence after being featured on the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle in the early 2000s. [59] Vice News has interviewed an Ohio man who claims he invented the game in the early 1980s, though this has not been independently verified. [60] The circle game also made a resurgence in the 2010s as a form of photobomb prank or internet meme, and began to engender controversy after the OK gesture was also sometimes used as a white power symbol starting in 2017. [61] [59]

White power symbol

Zach Rehl, leader of the Philadelphia Proud Boys, making the OK gesture in November 2020 Zach Rehl - Leader of the Philly Proud Boys (50558087973).jpg
Zach Rehl, leader of the Philadelphia Proud Boys, making the OK gesture in November 2020

In 2017, users on 4chan, a message-board site, [62] [63] [64] aimed to convince the media and other people that the OK gesture was being used as a white power symbol as a joke. [62] [65] According to The Boston Globe , users on 4chan's /pol/ ("Politically Incorrect") board were instructed in February 2017 to "flood Twitter and other social media websites...claiming that the OK hand sign is a symbol of white supremacy" as part of a campaign dubbed "Operation O-KKK". [58]

The association of the gesture with white supremacy derived from the assertion that the three upheld fingers resemble a W and the circle made with the thumb and forefinger resemble the head of a P, together standing for "White Power". While some members of the alt-right started using the symbol after the launch of the 4chan campaign, it initially remained ambiguous whether or not it was being used to communicate genuine adherence to white supremacy, or with deliberately ironic motives. [66]

In September 2019, the Anti-Defamation League added the OK gesture to its "Hate on Display" database. [63] [67] The listing notes that while the usage of the OK hand gesture "in most contexts is entirely innocuous", some white supremacists have begun using the OK symbol "as a sincere expression of white supremacy", so care should be taken to evaluate the intent behind the gesture in context. [63] Some white supremacists have acknowledged using the symbol as a gesture of white power. [62] As a result of white supremacists' co-opting the symbol, some people have been accused of genuine use of the sign in support for white-supremacist ideology: [58] [68] [69]

Negative denotations

Cultural variations

In countries such as France where the OK gesture bears both positive and negative meanings, facial expression helps contextualize its meaning. OK-negative.jpg
In countries such as France where the OK gesture bears both positive and negative meanings, facial expression helps contextualize its meaning.

While widespread use of the OK gesture has granted it an international meaning of assent, it also bears negative, vulgar, or offensive meanings in many regions of the world. In contrast to Japan's use of the expression to represent coins and wealth, the gesture's "O" shape stands for "zero" meaning "worth nothing" in France and Tunisia. [20] [89] In many Mediterranean countries such as Turkey, Tunisia, and Greece, as well as in the Middle East, parts of Germany, and many parts of Latin America, the gesture may be interpreted as a vulgar expression resembling a human anus, referring to sex, either as an insult ("You are an asshole"), or a homophobic reaction to a symbol of homosexuality and the act of sodomy. [10]

In Kuwait and other Arab countries, the shaking of this sign represents the evil eye and is used as a curse or a threat, sometimes in conjunction with verbal condemnation. [90] [91]

In some regions of the world, both the positive "OK" and the negative forms are practiced, which can lead to confusion over which meaning is intended. [10] In regions and cultures where the gesture has a historically negative meaning, its use as an "OK sign" is often the result of its appearance in media and tends to be used more by younger people. [92] In France, where widespread use has seeped in through American culture, the gesture's positive "OK" sentiment became popular in the north of the country while its negative meaning as "worthless" remained in the south. To avoid confusion, French communicators have become accustomed to using additional context clues, such as posture or facial expression, to clarify meaning. [4] In other circumstances, the gesture's varied meanings are less easily reconciled, as was the case in the 1950s Brazil when United States Vice President Richard Nixon emerged from his airplane displaying the sign with each hand. [20] While Nixon's intent was to communicate goodwill to the people of São Paulo, the crowd received it with offense. [93]

See also

Related Research Articles

Sutton SignWriting, or simply SignWriting, is a system of writing sign languages. It is highly featural and visually iconic, both in the shapes of the characters, which are abstract pictures of the hands, face, and body, and in their spatial arrangement on the page, which does not follow a sequential order like the letters that make up written English words. It was developed in 1974 by Valerie Sutton, a dancer who had, two years earlier, developed DanceWriting. Some newer standardized forms are known as the International Sign Writing Alphabet (ISWA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emblem</span> Pictorial image that epitomizes a concept or that represents a person

An emblem is an abstract or representational pictorial image that represents a concept, like a moral truth, or an allegory, or a person, like a monarch or saint.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gesture</span> Form of non-verbal/non-vocal communication

A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication or non-vocal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of, or in conjunction with, speech. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body. Gestures differ from physical non-verbal communication that does not communicate specific messages, such as purely expressive displays, proxemics, or displays of joint attention. Gestures allow individuals to communicate a variety of feelings and thoughts, from contempt and hostility to approval and affection, often together with body language in addition to words when they speak. Gesticulation and speech work independently of each other, but join to provide emphasis and meaning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mudra</span> Symbolic gestures in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism

A mudra is a symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddha in art</span> Depictions of Gautama Buddha

Much Buddhist art uses depictions of the historical Buddha, Gautama Buddha, which are known as Buddharūpa in Sanskrit and Pali. These may be statues or other images such as paintings. The main figure in an image may be someone else who has obtained Buddhahood, or a boddhisattva, especially in the various traditions of Mahayana Buddhism. Other Buddhas and bodhisattvas in art have become increasingly common over the centuries, perhaps now outnumbering images of the historical Buddha.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index finger</span> Second finger of the human hand

The index finger is the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the thumb and the middle finger. It is usually the most dextrous and sensitive digit of the hand, though not the longest. It is shorter than the middle finger, and may be shorter or longer than the ring finger.

<i>Namaste</i> Customary Hindu greeting

Namaste, sometimes called namaskār and namaskāram, is a customary Hindu manner of respectfully greeting and honouring a person or group, used at any time of day. It is used in the Indian subcontinent, and among the Indian and Nepalese diaspora. Namaste is usually spoken with a slight bow and hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest. This gesture is called añjali mudrā; the standing posture incorporating it is pranāmāsana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hook 'em Horns</span> Chant and hand gesture of the University of Texas at Austin

Hook 'em Horns is the chant and hand signal of The University of Texas at Austin. Students, alumni, and fans of the university employ a greeting consisting of the phrase "Hook 'em" or "Hook 'em Horns" to show school pride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaka sign</span> Hand gesture

The shaka sign, sometimes known as "hang loose" is a gesture with friendly intent often associated with Hawaii and surf culture. It consists of extending the thumb and smallest finger while holding the three middle fingers curled, and gesturing in salutation while presenting the front or back of the hand; the wrist may be rotated back and forth for emphasis. The shaka sign is similar to the letter Y in the American manual alphabet in American Sign Language or the sign for number six in the Chinese hand counting symbol. The shaka sign should not be confused with the sign of the horns, where the index and pinky fingers are extended and the thumb holds down the middle two fingers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sign of the horns</span> Hand gesture

The sign of the horns is a hand gesture with a variety of meanings and uses in various cultures. It is formed by extending the index and little fingers while holding the middle and ring fingers down with the thumb.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iconography of Gautama Buddha in Laos and Thailand</span> Theravadin Buddhist iconography

The iconography of Gautama Buddha in Laos and Thailand recall specific episodes during his travels and teachings that are familiar to the Buddhists according to an iconography with specific rules. The Buddha is always represented with certain physical attributes, and in specified dress and specified poses. Each pose, and particularly the position and gestures of the Buddha's hands, has a defined meaning which is familiar to Buddhists. In other Buddhist countries, different but related iconography is used, for example the mudras in Indian art. Certain ones of these are considered particularly auspicious for those born on particular days of the week.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thumb signal</span> Hand gesture indicating approval

A thumb signal, usually described as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, is a common hand gesture achieved by a closed fist held with the thumb extended upward or downward, respectively. The thumbs-up gesture is associated with positivity, approval, achievement, satisfaction and solidarity, while the thumbs-down gesture is associated with concern, disapproval, dissatisfaction, rejection and failure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crossed fingers</span> Hand gesture

To cross one's fingers is a hand gesture commonly used to wish for luck. Early Christians used the gesture to implore the protection of the Holy Cross. The gesture is referred to by the common expressions "cross your fingers", "keep your fingers crossed", or just "fingers crossed".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finger-counting</span> Multi-cultural system of counting directly involving the digits

Finger-counting, also known as dactylonomy, is the act of counting using one's fingers. There are multiple different systems used across time and between cultures, though many of these have seen a decline in use because of the spread of Arabic numerals.

<i>Añjali Mudrā</i> Hand gesture, associated with Dharmic religions, practiced throughout Asia and beyond

Añjali Mudrā is a hand gesture mainly associated with Indian religions and arts, encountered throughout Asia and beyond. It is a part of Indian classical dance postures such as Bharatanatyam, yoga practice, and forms part of the greeting Namaste. Among the performance arts, Anjali Mudra is a form of non-verbal, visual communication to the audience. It is one of 24 samyukta mudras of the Indian classical arts. There are several forms of the Anjali Mudra such as the brahmanjali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fig sign</span> Offensive hand gesture

The fig sign is a mildly obscene gesture that uses a thumb wedged in between two fingers. The gesture is most commonly used to ward off the evil eye, insult someone, or deny a request. It has been used at least since the Roman Age in Southern Europe and parts of the Mediterranean region, including in Turkish culture. Some countries in Asia, Slavic cultures and South Africa use it too. It is used playfully in Northwestern Europe and North Africa, countries such as the US, Canada, Australia, Libya, Tunisia and Czech Republic to pretend to take the nose off a child.

An obscene gesture is a movement or position of the body, especially of the hands or arms, that is considered exceedingly offensive or vulgar in some particular cultures. Such gestures are often sexually suggestive.

Hand gestures are used in regions of Italy and in the Italian language as a form of nonverbal communication and expression. The gestures within the Italian lexicon are dominated by movements of the hands and fingers, but may also include movements of facial features such as eyebrows, the mouth and the cheeks. Theories persist as to the exact origin of hand gestures as a method of communication in Italy, however it is likely that they emerged through necessity as a universal, non-verbal method of communicating across different Italian local languages and dialects. Despite the majority of today's Italian population speaking Italian, hand gestures have persisted as a method of expression to accompany verbal speech in many regions of Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canonical digits</span> Catholic bodily position of prayer

Canonical digits, also referred to as liturgical digits, are a posture or bodily attitude of prayer used during the celebration of the rite of the Holy Mass. This gesture is performed by any Catholic priest after consecration and before ablutions, standing and joining his thumb and index finger in a circle, and holding the other fingers straight away from the palm.

References

  1. ↑ Neiwert, David (19 September 2018). "Is that an OK sign? A white power symbol? Or just a right-wing troll?". Southern Poverty Law Center . Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Müller, Cornelia; Cienki, Alan; Fricke, Ellen; Ladewig, Silva; McNeill, David; Tessendorf, Sedinha (2014). "114: Ring-gestures across cultures and times: Dimensions in variation". Body – Language – Communication. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. pp. 1511–1522. ISBN   9783110302028.
  3. ↑ Tuleja, Tad (2012). "2. In the Wink of an Eye: Gestures and Posture". Curious Customs. Stonesong. ISBN   9780985434397.
  4. 1 2 3 Morris, Desmond (2012). "Multi-message Gestures". Peoplewatching: The Desmond Morris Guide to Body Language. Random House. pp. 49–52. ISBN   9781407071497.
  5. 1 2 Elworthy, Frederick Thomas (1895). "V11: Touch, Hands, Gestures". The Evil Eye: An Account of this Ancient and Widespread Superstition. J. Murray. pp.  233–276.
  6. ↑ Bulwer, John. "[TCP] Chirologia, or, The naturall language of the hand composed of the speaking motions, and discoursing gestures thereof : whereunto is added Chironomia, or, The art of manuall rhetoricke, consisting of the naturall expressions, digested by art in the hand, as the chiefest instrument of eloquence, by historicall manifesto's exemplified out of the authentique registers of common life and civill conversation : with types, or chyrograms, a long-wish'd for illustration of this argument". Oxford University Text Archive. Oxford: University of Oxford. Archived from the original on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  7. ↑ Merz, Andreas (14 October 2010). "Embleme im interkulturellen Vergleich: Eine Untersuchung zur Bedeutung von 16 Emblemen in Kolumbien und Deutschland" [Emblems in intercultural comparison: An investigation of meaning of 16 emblems in Colombia and Germany](PDF) (in German). Leipzig: Institut für Angewandte Linguistik. p. 73. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  8. ↑ Chetwynd, Josh (2013). "Okay Sign". The Book of Nice: A Nice Book about Nice Things for Nice People. Workman Publishing. pp. 36–40. ISBN   9780761172949.
  9. ↑ Oktent, Arika (11 April 2013). "What's the Real Origin of "OK"?". Mental Floss . Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Armstrong, Nancy; Wagner, Melissa (2003). Field Guide to Gestures – How to Identify and Interpret Virtually Every Gesture Known to Man . Quirk Books. ISBN   9781931686204.
  11. ↑ Ciardi, John (9 March 2006). "Martin Van Buren Was OK" (Radio). NPR.org.
  12. ↑ Llewellyn, Stevan (7 April 2017). "Scuba Diving Hand Signals Every Diver Should Know". Sport Diver. Archived from the original on 22 August 2021. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  13. ↑ Mezcua, Jorge (12 September 2013). "Diving signs you need to know". ForDivers.com. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  14. ↑ "Minimum Course Content for Common Hand Signals for Scuba Diving" (PDF). Recreational Scuba Training Council, Inc. (RSTC) (Jacksonville, FL., USA). 1 December 2005. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  15. ↑ Lewis, Philip (2 February 2016). "6 Emojis That You've Been Using Wrong, And What They Actually Mean" . Retrieved 19 November 2018. This emoji, which some assumed to be a ballerina performing a dance move, was intended to be used to signify an 'OK' gesture. 'It's supposed to be an OK symbol...The girl's arms are above her head because she's making an OK sign with her whole body (i.e. a circle, or large 'O'), which is a Japanese gesture.' Unicode lists the emoji as face with OK gesture.
  16. ↑ "Face With OK Gesture Emoji". Emojipedia. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  17. ↑ Parhizgar, Kamal Dean (2002). Multicultural Behavior and Global Business Environments. New York: Routledge. p. 382. ISBN   9781135187132.
  18. ↑ Kasschau, Anne; Eguchi, Susumu (2015). Using Japanese Slang: This Japanese Phrasebook, Dictionary and Language Guide Gives You Everything You Need To Speak Like a Native!. 192: Tuttle Publishing. ISBN   9781462910953.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)
  19. ↑ Nafziger, James A. R.; Paterson, Robert Kirkwood; Renteln, Alison Dundes (2010). Cultural Law: International, Comparative, and Indigenous. Cambridge University Press. p. 133. ISBN   9781139489324.
  20. 1 2 3 "What's A-O.K. in the U.S.A. Is Lewd and Worthless Beyond". The New York Times . 18 August 1996. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  21. ↑ Iglehart, Fanny Chambers Gooch (1997). "VII. The Mexicans in their Homes". Face to Face with the Mexicans. New York: Fords, Howard, & Hulbert. p. 211.
  22. 1 2 Carroll, Cain; Carroll, Revital (2013). Mudras of India : a Comprehensive Guide to the Hand Gestures of Yoga and Indian Dance (Expanded ed.). Singing Dragon. ISBN   9781848191099.
  23. 1 2 Hirschi, Gertrud (2016). Mudras: Yoga in Your Hands. Weiser Books. pp. 139–141. ISBN   9781609250584.
  24. ↑ Sherlock, David; Zajac, William. "A Fourteenth-Century Monastic Sign List From Bury St Edmunds Abbey". Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History. 36 (4). Gloucester: Alan Sutton Publishing. ISSN   0262-6004.
  25. ↑ Heikkinen, Megan (2008). "Hand Talk: American Indian Sign Language – Illustrations Index". www.pislresearch.com. University of Tennessee. Archived from the original on 25 August 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  26. ↑ Wilson, Rev. E.F., ed. (Christmas 1888). "Indian Sign Language" (PDF). Our Forest Children. II (10). Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario: 17–18. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  27. 1 2 Mallery, Garrick (1880). Introduction to the Study of Sign Language Among the North American Indians: As Illustrating the Gesture Speech of Mankind. Washington: US Government Printing Office. pp.  20–47.
  28. ↑ Briant, Monta Z. (2018). "Fly (insect)". Baby Sign Language Basics: Early Communication for Hearing Babies and Toddlers, 3rd Edition. Hay House, Inc. ISBN   9781401955632.
  29. ↑ Fay, Edward Allen (1908). American Annals of the Deaf. Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf and Dumb. Vol. 53. Washington, DC. p. 148.
  30. ↑ Stokoe, William C. (1972). Semiotics and Human Sign Languages. Walter de Gruyter. p. 31. ISBN   9789027920966.
  31. ↑ Кульбіда, C.B. Ukrainian Dactylology: Scientific and Methodical Manual (in Ukrainian). Kyiv: Pedagogical Thought. p. 2007.
  32. ↑ Oh Youung-Joon; Jung Kee-Chul (9 August 2009). "A Study on the Development of a Korean Manual Alphabet Learning Game with Avatar". Journal of Korea Game Society: 67–80.
  33. ↑ Stainbrook, Kaitlin (2 March 2016). "Japanese Sign Language and Being Deaf in Japan". Tofugu. Retrieved 20 November 2018.
  34. ↑ Shin shuwa kyōshitsu : kōsei rōdōshō shuwa hōshiin yōsei kōza nyūmon katei taiō Niyūmo. Zenkokushuwakenshūsentā. 2004. ISBN   9784902158113.
  35. 1 2 Penilla, Adan R. Penilla; Taylor, Angela Lee (2016). "4. Getting Your Numbers and Times Straight". American Sign Language For Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   9781119286097.
  36. ↑ Xinyu, Weng (27 June 2009). "#5: 数字手势 | 慢速中文 Slow Chinese". 慢速中文 Slow Chinese (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  37. ↑ "漫画《名侦探柯南》引发中国人数字手势大讨论-北京时间". Beijine Time (in Chinese). Beijing New Media Group. 4 September 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  38. ↑ Willett, Megan (31 March 2014). "How To Order A Beer Like A True German". Business Insider. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  39. ↑ "Chinese Number Gestures | Counting in Chinese and Learning Numbers with Hands". Learn Chinese Online | TutorMandarin: Online Mandarin Tutor. 12 December 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  40. ↑ Gregory, Chris (1997). Be Seeing You: Decoding The Prisoner. Indiana University Press. p. 43. ISBN   9781860205217.
  41. ↑ Cornell, Paul; Day, Martin; Topping, Keith (2015). The Classic British Telefantasy Guide. Orion Publishing Group. p. 17. ISBN   9780575133525.
  42. ↑ White, Matthew; Ali, Jaffer (2009). Official Prisoner Companion. Grand Central Publishing. ISBN   9780446569262.
  43. ↑ The Prisoner Video Companion. Maljack Productions. 1990.
  44. ↑ Lalithram (18 September 2017). "Upendra Birthday Special: 7 Films That Changed The Face of Kannada Film Industry!". Filmi Beat. Retrieved 23 February 2019. Super, is only a name that is given to it by the fans. But, Upendra had other thoughts in mind while naming the film. The actual title of the film is a depiction of a hand symbol (Vitarka Mudra).
  45. ↑ Prakash, Kiran (21 August 2017). "Real star wants to be an ideal politician, the kind found only in movies". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  46. ↑ "Did You Know About The Nameless South Indian Movie Released In 2010? We Didn't Either". Storypick. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  47. ↑ "Gallery". Macedonian League. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2019. VMRO-DPMNE political rally held by Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski in front of the Parliament in Skopje where many in the crowd raised a "three-finger" irredentist hand sign, meaning the unity of the lands of the fantasy country they call 'United Macedonia.'
  48. ↑ "Latest Skopje provocations in ruling party rally". Thema News. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 4 January 2019. Many in the crowd raised a 'three-finger' irredentist hand sign, meaning Vardar Macedonia, the 'Aegean part', and Pirin, and the 'O' from the word 'Obedineta' which means 'United' in the Slavic language that is spoken by the country's majority ethnos.
  49. ↑ Coconas, Evangelos (2016). Hendrickx, Prof. B.; Sansaridou-Hendrickx, Prof. T. (eds.). The Macedonian Question: A Historical Overview and Evaluation with Special Attention to the Traditional Greek Ideology (Dissertation). Johannesburg: University of Johannesburg. pp. 68–71. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  50. ↑ "Median Nerve". JC Physiotherapy. 23 April 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  51. ↑ Plancher, Kevin D.; Bothwell, Michael F. (2004). "Section III: Compression Neuropathy; Chapter 14: Anterior Interosseous Nerve Syndrome". MasterCases Hand and wrist surgery. Thieme. p. 75. ISBN   9780865779815.
  52. ↑ Jeff G. Konin et al. Special Tests for Orthopedic Examination: Third Edition. Thorofare, NJ. SLACK Incorporated, 2006.
  53. ↑ Richardson, Craig and Fabre, Gerd. '"Froment's Sign." Journal of Audiovisual Media in Medicine. Vol. 26, No. 1 (2003):34.
  54. ↑ "Piramal". Stories on Logo Designs. 13 April 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  55. ↑ Kevin Sans (1 February 2012). "The Vintage Japanese "OK" Hand Logo Explained" . Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  56. ↑ "The rich, delicious history of *Italian chef kiss*". The Daily Dot. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  57. ↑ "How the "Italian chef kiss" became a snarky internet cliché". The A.V. Club. 9 September 2016. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  58. 1 2 3 Brodeur, Michael Andor (20 September 2018). "That hand symbol you're seeing everywhere? Not OK". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 30 September 2018.
  59. 1 2 Schoenberg, Nara (2 June 2019). "OK sign is under siege: How the squeaky-clean hand gesture was twisted by trolls and acquired racist undertones". Chichago Tribune. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  60. ↑ Bish, Joe (29 June 2017). "Searching for the Man Behind 'The Circle Game'". Vice . Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  61. ↑ Esch, Mary (17 December 2019). "Hate sign or silly game? Military academies probe hand signs". Associated Press. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  62. 1 2 3 "When is the 'OK' gesture not OK?". BBC News . 16 May 2019.
  63. 1 2 3 4 "Okay Hand Gesture". www.adl.org. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  64. ↑ Neiwert, David (19 September 2018). "Is that an OK sign? A white power symbol? Or just a right-wing troll?". Hatewatch. Southern Poverty Law Center.
  65. 1 2 Shannon, Joe (15 September 2018). "Coast Guard member reassigned after he flashed 'offensive' hand gesture on TV". USA Today.
  66. 1 2 Lybrand, Holmes (17 July 2018). "Fact Check: Were Four Police Officers Suspended for Alleged White-Power Gesture?". The Weekly Standard . Archived from the original on 17 July 2018.
  67. ↑ Allyn, Bobby (26 September 2019). "The 'OK' Hand Gesture Is Now Listed As A Symbol Of Hate". NPR. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
  68. 1 2 Shugerman, Emily (29 April 2017). "Two members of alt-right accused of making white supremacist hand signs in White House after receiving press passes". The Independent .
  69. ↑ Meckler, Laura (12 November 2018). "Apparent Nazi salute in Wisconsin prom photo prompts outrage". The Seattle Times .
  70. ↑ "Two Alt-right Members Accused of Flashing White Power Sign at White House". Haaretz. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  71. ↑ Matthews, Dylan (5 September 2018). "No, a former Kavanaugh clerk didn't flash a "white power sign." Here's what really happened". Vox. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
  72. ↑ Telford, Taylor; Rosenberg, Eli (14 September 2018). "A Coast Guard officer on Florence duty made a hand gesture on TV. Some saw a white-power sign". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  73. ↑ Sewell, Cynthia (1 March 2019). "Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin facing public condemnation over photo with 3 Percenters". Idaho Statesman. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  74. ↑ Dawson, James; Druzin, Heath (1 March 2019). "Idaho Lieutenant Governor Faces Backlash For Photo Supporting Jailed Militiaman". Boise State Public Radio. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  75. ↑ Lowe, Emily; Simmons, Tommy (1 March 2019). "Idaho Lt. Gov. poses with protesters in support of standoff prisoner". Idaho State Journal. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  76. ↑ "New Zealand shooting: Suspect shows court white power sign". The Times . London. 16 March 2019.
  77. ↑ Howe, Suzette; Melendez, Pilar; Nadeau, Barbie Latza (15 March 2019). "New Zealand Mosque Shooting Suspect Brenton Tarrant Flashes White Power Sign in Court". Daily Beast.
  78. ↑ "New Estonian government ministers fuel concerns over sexism, white supremacy". www.cbsnews.com. 3 May 2019.
  79. ↑ "Estonia's far-right ministers face rocky start". BBC News. 1 May 2019.
  80. ↑ "Chicago Cubs fan banned from Wrigley Field for 'racist gesture'". BBC Sport. 8 May 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  81. ↑ Universal Orlando actor fired for making racist hand gesture, Associated Press, 2 October 2019
  82. ↑ Neil Vigdor (5 October 2019), "Universal Resort Costumed Character Made White Supremacy Sign, Family Says", The New York Times
  83. ↑ "Victoria Police denounces 'inappropriate' memes posted to social account by officer accused of making white power gesture". www.abc.net.au. 2 November 2019. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  84. ↑ "Philip Manshaus fengslet i åtte nye uker". www.aftenbladet.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 6 January 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  85. ↑ "Dette betyr tegnet Manshaus viste i retten". www.nrk.no (in Norwegian Bokmål). 7 May 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  86. ↑ "The symbols of hate and far-right extremism on display in pro-Trump Capitol siege". ABC News.
  87. ↑ "Decoding the extremist symbols and groups at the Capitol Hill insurrection". CNN. 9 January 2021.
  88. ↑ "Identifying far-right symbols that appeared at the U.S. Capitol riot". Washington Post.
  89. ↑ Merritt, Anne (22 September 2010). "10 common gestures easily misunderstood abroad". Matador Network. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  90. ↑ Medhat, Noha (22 November 2015). "8 normal signs and gestures that can be offensive in the Middle East". StepFeed. Retrieved 25 February 2019. The 'OK': The sign is considered very insulting in Turkey and in some other Middle Eastern countries – such as Kuwait – where it denotes the evil eye.
  91. ↑ Ramankutty, P. V. (1999). Curse as a Motif in the Mahābhārata. Nag Publishers. ISBN   9788170814320. The Western 'A-Ok' sign is, to the Arab, a sign of the evil-eye and used only in conjunction with curses.
  92. ↑ "The That means of the OK Hand Gesture Across the World – Study the That means of Hand Gestures | Turkey To Travel Tour". Turkey To Travel. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  93. ↑ Axtell, Roger E. (1999). Do's and Taboos of Humor Around the World: Stories and Tips from Business and Life . Wiley. p.  92. ISBN   9780471254034.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.