gesture
/ˈdʒɛstʃər/
noun
Origin
Latin
gestura — mode of action, manner of bearing
Overview
Meaning Now
- A movement of part of the body, especially a hand or the head, to express an idea or meaning.
- An action performed to convey one's feelings or intentions, often as a sign of goodwill or courtesy.
Literal older meaning
a mode of action or carriage
Language path
Latin → Old French → English
Earliest form
gestur
Earliest period
15th century
Journey
The word originated from the Latin 'gestus', the past participle of 'gerere' (to carry or perform). In medieval times, 'gesture' often referred to one's physical bearing or carriage of the body before it shifted specifically to communicative hand and head movements in early modern English.
Evolution
- Latin
gerere
“to carry, perform”
Original verb base
- Late Latin
gestura
“a manner of acting”
- Old French
gesture
“bearing, manner”
- Middle English
gestur
“posture, movement”
- Modern English
gesture
“communicative physical action”
Connections
Word parts
gest-
root
to perform, carry
-ure
suffix
result of an action
Related across languages
French
geste
gesture
Italian
gesto
gesture
Spanish
gesto
gesture/expression
Related words
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Related to gesture
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.