The Surprising History of Sign Language and Body Gestures

The Surprising History of Sign Language and Body Gestures

Every moment of the day, in virtually every corner of the world, people of all cultures employ various hand and body gestures to elucidate an idea, emphasize information, or substitute for human speech. A wave of the hand, a raised middle finger, a “thumbs up” or “peace sign” are among the many universally-understood physical gesticulations used to span language barriers, avert misunderstanding, or otherwise communicate what words alone cannot. …