Indian head shake gif

In Thanjavur city, in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, street markets are flooded with a particular type of bobblehead toy. The brightly painted clay bommai, usually the figure of a classical dancer or an old couple as a set, comes in two parts: the full body and the head that sits loosely on a small hinge extending up from the indian head shake gif.

Open menu. By Ryan General. Indians wobbling their heads rapidly from side to side during a conversation may be perplexing to people who are not familiar with Indian culture; fortunately, understanding how the gesture works is not that complicated. It further confuses foreigners, as the side to side shaking we often attribute to convey the negative is instead portraying affirmation. With over 20 official languages and several hundred more dialects in India, nonverbal communication such as hand gestures and head wobbles allow for easier communication between people from different states. And while heads are wobbled differently from one region to another, what they portray are essentially the same. Paying close attention is key to understanding this non-verbal communication, since almost every part of the entire face is involved in the gesture.

Indian head shake gif

Besides the heterogeneous nature of being an "Indian", the wobble is just agreement. The person who's wobbling their head is agreeing to what is being said. It's mostly a "Go ahead and say what you want, I'll do what I want to do after you're done". I didn't grow up in India, so I can see it for what it is, but I am Indian, so the subtleties are visible to me. Take all of this with a huge grain of salt. That's roughly how I'd interpreted it from interacting with colleagues, an acknowledgement. Yeah, it's definitely not an agreement. Acknowledgement is the most apt description. Yes, it's an agreement, or like "sure yeah". As some from Yorkshire I like 'aye' it's an anachronistic affirmative yes, old people still use 'nay' as well. Language is a wonderful thing. Doesn't sound like "agreement" to me! Specifically, "sure, I know you think that but you're wrong and I'm too polite to say it to your face right now. That was my intended meaning, yes.

It's surprising how even the most educated western, either Europeans or Americans are unaware of this fact. Subscribe Me. This high score indicates a deep respect for hierarchy and limited scope for disagreement with those indian head shake gif superior in any way.

.

The peculiar Indian head shake, wobble, or bobble is the source of much confusion and wonderment among foreigners, especially the first time one is confronted with it. It looks like a cross between a nod and shake, but does it mean "yes"? Or, does it mean "no"? Or, even "maybe"? The confusion is increased when the gesture is silent. However, once you discover the meaning of the head wobble and its many uses, what's really surprising is how infectious this gesture becomes. Anyone who's spent a considerable amount of time in India is likely to have caught themselves unconsciously wobbling their head. Even Indians who don't normally wobble their heads very much will automatically do so in response to another head wobble. A lot of the time, they don't even realize they're doing it!

Indian head shake gif

The head bobble , head wobble , or Indian head shake refers to a common gesture found in South Asian cultures, most notably in India. The motion usually consists of a side-to-side tilting of the head in arcs along the coronal plane. In India, a head bobble can have a variety of different meanings. Most frequently it means yes, or is used to indicate understanding. The meaning of the head bobble depends on the context of the conversation or encounter. It can serve as an alternative to thank you , as a polite introduction, or it can represent acknowledgement. Head bobbles can also be used in an intentionally vague manner.

Marvel x men series

A non-committal reaction, where you don't want to nod or shake your head "no" is common in other parts of the world. There are hundreds of Indian accents. Trying to write up a black and white interpretation of such things is no more effective than it would be if the article was reversed, trying to tell people in India what it means when Americans move their eyebrows. My colleague a Kerala native begs to differ :. Uh-huh is a mild eye roll sarcasm meant as an insult, more to the side of someones back. Are you the BBC or some sort of amateur blog? Unless you've also seen the South Indian headshake, you might not know exactly what I meant by the culture shock. In my own experience, the faster the shake, the more enthusiastic the agreement — especially when used with raised eyebrows for added emphasis. Besides the heterogeneous nature of being an "Indian", the wobble is just agreement. It is somewhat like an infinity sign, or a numeral eight lying down. As some from Yorkshire I like 'aye' it's an anachronistic affirmative yes, old people still use 'nay' as well. Take all of this with a huge grain of salt. I do it and I'm neither Indian nor have I worked in India. That's not to say there isn't an 'indian head wobble'. Language is a wonderful thing.

A video decoding Indian headshakes has gone viral, attracting over a million hits in a week. What does its popularity tell us about the way Indians see themselves?

Yeah, it's definitely not an agreement. It's an interesting phenomenon which is spread widely enough in India and throughout the Indian diaspora that you can call it that. Besides the heterogeneous nature of being an "Indian", the wobble is just agreement. A slight tap on the head, or even a vigorous breeze, can set off the head shaking from side to side in an almost circular fashion. This is the second time I've seen this article or something similar recently. Gigablah on July 24, root parent next [—] My colleague a Kerala native begs to differ :. Share this Article. I didn't grow up in India, so I can see it for what it is, but I am Indian, so the subtleties are visible to me. A person letting you know he understands what you mean may gesture with a fast and continuous head wobble. Cyph0n on July 24, root parent prev next [—]. Uh-huh is a mild eye roll sarcasm meant as an insult, more to the side of someones back.