pointing, not with finger

[Richard Preston]

All these comments are depicting interesting cultural variations on the theme and suggests that pointing (or waving) a finger is assertive or aggressive or a sign of relative power/rank - Aatolloah Khomeni or Osama or just a scolding momma. 

But for Crees at Waskaganish it was flagrant lack of social courtesy or reticence, a respect extended to animals (don't point there either, it won't be liked any more than speaking of a bear by his actual name rather than a pseudonym). 

I have only heard of it as a (specific case of a known person who then became a case of "flight hysteria") threat of sorcery (and she died of exposure), except for a modest one in 1963 when someone was too aggressive in a card game. He blanched visibly and started losing. But that is 50 years ago, eh?

Dick

On 2013-03-06, at 12:08 PM, Margaret Noori wrote:

> I have been taught not to point with your finger or a "thing" unless you mean it.
> 
> We say "zhinomaa" (a transitive animate verb with morphological relations to "through") for pointing which I think refers to a range of behavior that spans from a subtle, humble or polite lip point to a  more formal, militaristic or angry finger/spear/weapon point of going through someone in a real or ceremonial way.  
> 
> Meg
> 
> 
> On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 10:14 AM, Richard Preston <prestonr at mcmaster.ca> wrote:
> found by Preston for Cree on the E. Coast of James Bay
> minimum - rude; putting a person "on the spot"
> maximum - sorcery; a visible and tangible threat
> a shout where a well placed whisper would be good
> 
> On 2013-03-06, at 8:54 AM, Amy Dahlstrom wrote:
> 
> > Hello Algonquianists,
> >
> > I'm a discussant at an upcoming conference on gesture, and one thing I thought I would mention to the (extremely diverse) audience is the practice among at least some of the Algonquian peoples of pointing with the lips or with the chin, rather than pointing with the finger.
> >
> > I would like to ask you all how widespread this practice is.  And for native speakers (native pointers? :-) ), do you have any intuitions about why pointing with the finger is avoided?  Would it seem rude to point with the finger?  Or inappropriate in some other way?
> >
> > thanks in advance for any thoughts you can share!
> >
> > Amy
> >
> > P.S.  if you hit "reply" remember that you are replying to the whole list! :-)
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Margaret Noori
>  
> Director, Comprehensive Studies Program
> University of Michigan
> 1111 Angell Hall
> 435 S. State St.
> Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1003
> www.lsa.umich.edu/csp/
> 
> 



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