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It's as far as the arm can raise : Pointing height marks target distance among the San Juan Quiahije Chatino

Mesh, Kate LU orcid (2021) In Lingua 259.
Abstract

This study investigates the form of deictic gestures used by speakers of the Quiahije variety of Eastern Chatino (Otomangean, Zapotecan) spoken in Oaxaca, Mexico. An analysis of over six hours of interviews about local landmarks reveals that Quiahije Chatino speakers consistently use the far-is-up strategy to convey target distance in their deictic gestures—the farther the target, the higher and more expansive the form of the gesture. Participants in the study consistently used the far-is-up strategy to modify two types of deictic gestures: points and ‘go’ emblems (a gesture conveying forward motion). For points alone, participants combined the far-is-up strategy with the use of distinct handshapes for pointing to nearby versus distant... (More)

This study investigates the form of deictic gestures used by speakers of the Quiahije variety of Eastern Chatino (Otomangean, Zapotecan) spoken in Oaxaca, Mexico. An analysis of over six hours of interviews about local landmarks reveals that Quiahije Chatino speakers consistently use the far-is-up strategy to convey target distance in their deictic gestures—the farther the target, the higher and more expansive the form of the gesture. Participants in the study consistently used the far-is-up strategy to modify two types of deictic gestures: points and ‘go’ emblems (a gesture conveying forward motion). For points alone, participants combined the far-is-up strategy with the use of distinct handshapes for pointing to nearby versus distant targets. By systematically examining how deictic gestures are modified in one community in Mexico, this study lays the groundwork for further comparative and typological research on gestural deixis. Abstracts in Spanish and Quiahije Chatino are published as appendices. Se incluyen como apéndices resúmenes en español y en el chatino de San Juan Quiahije. SonG ktyiC reC inH, ngyaqC skaE ktyiC noE ndaH sonB naF ngaJ noI ngyaqC loE ktyiC reC, ngyaqC ranF chaqE xlyaK qoE chaqF jnyaJ noA ndywiqA renqA KchinA KyqyaC.

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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Chatino, Gesture, Indigenous, Mesoamerica, Pointing, Semantic contributions of gesture, Zapotecan
in
Lingua
volume
259
article number
103099
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85105531619
ISSN
0024-3841
DOI
10.1016/j.lingua.2021.103099
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
03d6c68b-4b6d-4a96-8af1-a53d6e82c5af
date added to LUP
2021-06-01 22:33:13
date last changed
2022-04-27 02:14:27
@article{03d6c68b-4b6d-4a96-8af1-a53d6e82c5af,
  abstract     = {{<p>This study investigates the form of deictic gestures used by speakers of the Quiahije variety of Eastern Chatino (Otomangean, Zapotecan) spoken in Oaxaca, Mexico. An analysis of over six hours of interviews about local landmarks reveals that Quiahije Chatino speakers consistently use the far-is-up strategy to convey target distance in their deictic gestures—the farther the target, the higher and more expansive the form of the gesture. Participants in the study consistently used the far-is-up strategy to modify two types of deictic gestures: points and ‘go’ emblems (a gesture conveying forward motion). For points alone, participants combined the far-is-up strategy with the use of distinct handshapes for pointing to nearby versus distant targets. By systematically examining how deictic gestures are modified in one community in Mexico, this study lays the groundwork for further comparative and typological research on gestural deixis. Abstracts in Spanish and Quiahije Chatino are published as appendices. Se incluyen como apéndices resúmenes en español y en el chatino de San Juan Quiahije. Son<sup>G</sup> ktyi<sup>C</sup> re<sup>C</sup> in<sup>H</sup>, ngyaq<sup>C</sup> ska<sup>E</sup> ktyi<sup>C</sup> no<sup>E</sup> nda<sup>H</sup> son<sup>B</sup> na<sup>F</sup> nga<sup>J</sup> no<sup>I</sup> ngyaq<sup>C</sup> lo<sup>E</sup> ktyi<sup>C</sup> re<sup>C</sup>, ngyaq<sup>C</sup> ran<sup>F</sup> chaq<sup>E</sup> xlya<sup>K</sup> qo<sup>E</sup> chaq<sup>F</sup> jnya<sup>J</sup> no<sup>A</sup> ndywiq<sup>A</sup> renq<sup>A</sup> Kchin<sup>A</sup> Kyqya<sup>C</sup>.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mesh, Kate}},
  issn         = {{0024-3841}},
  keywords     = {{Chatino; Gesture; Indigenous; Mesoamerica; Pointing; Semantic contributions of gesture; Zapotecan}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{08}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Lingua}},
  title        = {{It's as far as the arm can raise : Pointing height marks target distance among the San Juan Quiahije Chatino}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lingua.2021.103099}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.lingua.2021.103099}},
  volume       = {{259}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}