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Nod (gesture)
Encyclopedia
A nod of the head
is a gesture
in which the head is tilted in alternating up and down arcs along the sagittal plane
. In many culture
s, it is most commonly, but not universally, used to indicate agreement, acceptance
, or acknowledgment
.
(note that the head bobble
also shows agreement there), Iran
, Southeast Asia
, Western Europe
, Latin America
and North America
.
Nodding may also be used as a sign of recognition in some areas.
Unlike the rest of the world, in Bulgaria
, nodding is the equivalent of a no gesture.
, indicating that one is prepared to accept what another person is saying or requesting. It has also been stated that babies
, when hungry, search for their mother's milk by moving their heads vertically, but decline milk by turning their head from side to side.
An early survey of nodding and other gestures was The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, written by Charles Darwin
in 1872. Darwin wrote to missionaries in many parts of the world asking for information on local gestures, and concluded that nodding for "yes" was common to many different groups.
Human head
In human anatomy, the head is the upper portion of the human body. It supports the face and is maintained by the skull, which itself encloses the brain.-Cultural importance:...
is a gesture
Gesture
A gesture is a form of non-verbal communication in which visible bodily actions communicate particular messages, either in place of speech or together and in parallel with spoken words. Gestures include movement of the hands, face, or other parts of the body...
in which the head is tilted in alternating up and down arcs along the sagittal plane
Sagittal plane
Sagittal plane is a vertical plane which passes from front to rear dividing the body into right and left sections.-Variations:Examples include:...
. In many culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
s, it is most commonly, but not universally, used to indicate agreement, acceptance
Acceptance
Acceptance is a person's agreement to experience a situation, to follow a process or condition without attempting to change it, protest, or exit....
, or acknowledgment
Acknowledgment
Acknowledgment may refer to:*Acknowledgment , a statement of gratitude for assistance in producing a work...
.
Nodding to indicate acceptance
Different cultures assign different meanings to the gesture. Nodding to indicate "yes" is widespread, and appears in a large number of diverse cultural and linguistic groups. Areas in which nodding generally takes this meaning include the Indian subcontinentIndian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
(note that the head bobble
Head bobble
The head bobble, head wobble, or Indian head shake refers to a common gesture found in South Asian cultures, most notably in India. This form of nonverbal communication is sometimes referred to as "Indian head shake" or as travel journalist Stephan Wilkinson has described it, "a vague cock of the...
also shows agreement there), Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
, Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
Nodding may also be used as a sign of recognition in some areas.
Unlike the rest of the world, in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, nodding is the equivalent of a no gesture.
Origin
There are varying theories as to why nodding is so frequently used to mean "yes". One simple theory is that it is a form of bowingBowing (social)
Bowing is the act of lowering the torso and head as a social gesture in direction to another person or symbol. It is most prominent in Asian cultures but it is also typical of nobility and aristocracy in many countries and distinctively in Europe. Sometimes the gesture may be limited to lowering...
, indicating that one is prepared to accept what another person is saying or requesting. It has also been stated that babies
Infant
A newborn or baby is the very young offspring of a human or other mammal. A newborn is an infant who is within hours, days, or up to a few weeks from birth. In medical contexts, newborn or neonate refers to an infant in the first 28 days after birth...
, when hungry, search for their mother's milk by moving their heads vertically, but decline milk by turning their head from side to side.
An early survey of nodding and other gestures was The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, written by Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
Charles Robert Darwin FRS was an English naturalist. He established that all species of life have descended over time from common ancestry, and proposed the scientific theory that this branching pattern of evolution resulted from a process that he called natural selection.He published his theory...
in 1872. Darwin wrote to missionaries in many parts of the world asking for information on local gestures, and concluded that nodding for "yes" was common to many different groups.