pointing, not with finger

[David Lessard]

Another question is whether raising a finger does not mean something else. Pointing with the lips definitely meant something else a few years ago.

As a French Canadian, I was always told that it is a lack of education to point someone with a finger, but not to a thing or to an animal. However, it is not so much of a taboo and you see people pointing at each other in Montreal everyday. However, when not using the hand to point, people will seldom use their chin. They will use their chin or more commonly their feet if they got their hands full, and their eyes and manners of speech (the guy on the right, the lady sitting with the glasses...) to refer to someone they don't want to be seen pointing to. This is all I can say from my unformal observations.

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De : Jennifer Brown
Envoyé : 2013-03-06 12:23
À : ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
Objet : Re: pointing, not with finger

Google Crazy Horse monument; Wikipedia has some discussion of that sculpture being designed with Crazy Horse pointing. When I first saw that design I thought this might surely be an issue, and it is in some quarters.

I think, from what I’ve read and heard, that Cree and Ojibwe people have seen the gesture as invasive and possibly as connoting a play for power.
But I also recall, as a child of parents of British/ Canadian background, being told that it was rude to point at people.

Jennifer Brown

From: ALGONQUIANA [mailto:ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG] On Behalf Of David Lessard
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2013 8:44 AM
To: ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG
Subject: Re: pointing, not with finger

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

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De : Conor Quinn
Envoyé : 2013-03-06 10:29
À : ALGONQUIANA at LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG<mailto: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<mailto: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! :-)



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