Inquiry -

[Christine Patricia Murphy]

Hello!

        My name is Christine Murphy; I am currently a senior in Columbia
University's Anthropology department, and would like to ask if I may draw
on the experience and resources of those on this listserv to help inform
my senior thesis.

        I am looking into the cross-cultural significance of the
physiological and emotional responses associated with blushing, and their
implications for nonverbal communication.   I wonder if anyone out
there has encountered related terms in his/her studies of Siouan languages
(for the internal response, if not for an outward physical sign: verb,
noun, or adjective).

        The scope of such terms might include (but is certainly not
limited to) associations with the physical manifestations of
embarrassment, shame, anger, sexual attraction, or modesty, my particular
interest being evidence of perceivable facial difference, perhaps by a
change in skin appearance (as is indicated in the English verb "to
blush"). Here at Columbia I unfortunately do not have ready print
resources for Siouan languages - but more importantly, the experience as
researchers and perhaps speakers of these language that you all may
offer me is a far greater opportunity, to be sure that the
terms and uses I refer to in my paper are current, salient, not relics of
linguists overeager to find one-to-one relationships between familiar and
foreign language systems.


Many thanks, and best wishes for the coming spring -


Sincerely,

Christine Murphy