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Chapter 9. Physical and imaginary landmarks in English time gestures

  • Daniel Alcaraz Carrión
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Time Representations in the Perspective of Human Creativity
This chapter is in the book Time Representations in the Perspective of Human Creativity

Abstract

In this chapter I discuss several creative instances of time co-speech gestures in English obtained from a repository of television news. I argue that, even though time gestures tend to follow certain patterns in their form, speakers may deviate, giving rise to more creative instances with a more complex meaning. The chapter begins with a brief introduction to the relation between speech and gesture, with a focus on temporal cognition, and timelines. Then, I discuss the notion of creativity in gesture research. I analyze five examples of time gestures that fall under three main categories: the ad-hoc creation of imaginary timelines, the inclusion of physical items to the time construal and the emotional and pragmatic component of facial gestures.

Abstract

In this chapter I discuss several creative instances of time co-speech gestures in English obtained from a repository of television news. I argue that, even though time gestures tend to follow certain patterns in their form, speakers may deviate, giving rise to more creative instances with a more complex meaning. The chapter begins with a brief introduction to the relation between speech and gesture, with a focus on temporal cognition, and timelines. Then, I discuss the notion of creativity in gesture research. I analyze five examples of time gestures that fall under three main categories: the ad-hoc creation of imaginary timelines, the inclusion of physical items to the time construal and the emotional and pragmatic component of facial gestures.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I. Time and creativity in language
  6. Chapter 1. A corpus-based look at time metaphors 15
  7. Chapter 2. Time moves more often in poetry 41
  8. Chapter 3. What is time? 61
  9. Chapter 4. Working on it 81
  10. Part II. Beyond language
  11. Chapter 5. Creative visual metaphors of protracted and frozen time in autobiographical comics about depression 101
  12. Chapter 6. Time-creation in film 125
  13. Chapter 7. Beyond the limits 147
  14. Chapter 8. From “slow lettuce” to “striated time” 163
  15. Chapter 9. Physical and imaginary landmarks in English time gestures 187
  16. Chapter 10. Time in Chinese hands 209
  17. Epilogue. Creative to whom, and on what basis? 233
  18. Index 243
https://doi.org/10.1075/hcp.75.09alc

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Introduction 1
  5. Part I. Time and creativity in language
  6. Chapter 1. A corpus-based look at time metaphors 15
  7. Chapter 2. Time moves more often in poetry 41
  8. Chapter 3. What is time? 61
  9. Chapter 4. Working on it 81
  10. Part II. Beyond language
  11. Chapter 5. Creative visual metaphors of protracted and frozen time in autobiographical comics about depression 101
  12. Chapter 6. Time-creation in film 125
  13. Chapter 7. Beyond the limits 147
  14. Chapter 8. From “slow lettuce” to “striated time” 163
  15. Chapter 9. Physical and imaginary landmarks in English time gestures 187
  16. Chapter 10. Time in Chinese hands 209
  17. Epilogue. Creative to whom, and on what basis? 233
  18. Index 243
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