What is gestural usage?

Definition
	Gestural usage is the use of a deictic expression in such a way that a physical monitoring of the speech situation is necessary for interpretation of the expression.

Example (English)

In the following sequence, an accompanying gesture is necessary to interpret the expression:

This one’s genuine, but this one is a fake.

Source:

Levinson 1983 65

See also
	What is symbolic usage?

Concept module: gestural usage
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): G
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004