@article{jbp:/content/journals/10.1075/gest.9.2.04ori, author = "Orie, Ọlanikẹ Ọla", title = "Pointing the Yoruba way", journal= "Gesture", year = "2009", volume = "9", number = "2", pages = "237-261", doi = "https://doi.org/10.1075/gest.9.2.04ori", url = "https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/gest.9.2.04ori", publisher = "John Benjamins", issn = "1568-1475", type = "Journal Article", keywords = "pointing", keywords = "gaze", keywords = "social-cultural factors", abstract = "This paper gives a description of Yoruba pointing behavior, especially pointing as it relates to people in interaction contexts. First, it is shown that pointing is regulated by socio-cultural factors. Secondly, it is shown that non-manual points such as lip points are complex points which use the gaze as the primary pointer; other head-area gestures ‘switch on’ the deictic function of the gaze to pinpoint the specific referent in the discourse space. This paper also describes a form of pointing, termed ‘eye-click’, in which the eyes have both the function of gazing and ‘switching on’ the deictic vector of gaze. Thirdly, some pointing practices in sub-Saharan Africa are examined and compared.", }