kinesics
/kəˈnisɪks/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
3
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The study of non-verbal communication by means of gestures and/or other body movements.
Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "Section I consists of a brief discussion of the general field of kinesics which, it is hoped, will be suggestive to others working in this area whether their central focus be linguistic, psychiatric, or general cultural. The field of kinesics is divided methodologically in a manner approximating the prevalent usage in linguistics."
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek κῑ́νησῐς (kī́nēsĭs, “motion”, noun) + English -ics (suffix forming nouns denoting fields of knowledge or practice), coined by the American anthropologist Ray L. Birdwhistell (1918–1994) in his work Introduction to Kinesics (1952) (see the quotation). Κῑ́νησῐς (Kī́nēsĭs) is derived from κῑνέω (kīnéō, “to set in motion, move”) (from Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- (“to be lying down; to settle”)) + -σῐς (-sĭs, suffix forming abstract nouns or nouns of action, process, or result). Compare kinesia and kinesic.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *ḱey-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /kəˈnisɪks/
- British English: /kɪˈniːsɪks/
Usage
Subject
Wiktionary places this term in Linguistics.