SOAS Research Online

Abstract

This study sets out to determine the meanings of a limited number of gestures in Hebrew and Akkadian and to compare them intra- and interlinguistically. The first chapter presents the anthropological and linguistic approaches to a study of these gestures recorded in texts, and concludes that the only method available at the moment which can determine their meanings is to analyse each in the context in which it occurs. Chapters II - IV analyse a number' of these gestures, namely those in which the object of the verb is either the head, face, forehead, cheek, or hair. It is noted that the gestures are used literally, metaphorically, symbolically, and idiomatically. In Chapter V a comparison of the gestures in each and both languages is undertaken. First, the various contexts in which the gestures are found are studied, with a note being made of the different gestures sharing the same context, or semantic field. Then a study is made of the semantic range, or range of meaning of the various gestures. Conclusions are then drawn concerning the viability of, the methodology employed in a study of phrases of this kind, as well as the assistance which can be derived by a comparative study of the gestures in providing support for an interpretion or for suggesting other possible meanings, Note is then made of the new interpretations and other information obtained by this study.