pointing, not with finger

[Margaret Noori]

This is interesting.  How well did you know the people you asked?  How old
were they?  It seems like 1/2 reply to me and I wonder if they were just
being quick about it or if they no longer get taught the same lesson as the
Anishinaabe.

On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 10:44 AM, David Lessard <
david.lessard2 at mail.mcgill.ca> wrote:

>  I have seen this among the James Bay Cree. I asked why and they told me
> it was more efficient when they had their hands full. I did not investigate
> further though.
>
> I have been told that it is an habit in Ecuador too.
>
> David
>
> Envoyé à partir de mon Windows Phone
>  ------------------------------
> De : Conor Quinn
> Envoyé : 2013-03-06 10:29
> À : ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
> Objet : Re: pointing, not with finger
>
> Dia dhaoibh, a chairde!
>
> Definitely had this pointed out to me by Penobscots; not sure how it may
> be among the Passamaquoddies, but it rings a bell there, too.  No clue as
> to why, though pointing with the lips (= the acceptable and common
> strategy) is also common in Australia, I'm told.  I might imagine that,
> other society/culture/belief-system factors aside, being well trained not
> to point with your hands helps in hunting, since the game-spooking motion
> is far less salient.  But that's just pure speculation on my part.
>
> Till later, keep safe and sane.
>
> Slán,
> bhur gcara
>
> On Wed, Mar 6, 2013 at 8:54 AM, Amy Dahlstrom <a-dahlstrom at uchicago.edu>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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