The first expands on Efron’s (1941) foundational study and focuses on gestural forms that can readily be quoted or elicited – so-called ‘emblems’ ( Ekman & Friesen, 1969) or ‘quotable gestures’ ( Kendon, 1992) – and whose meanings can be interpreted even in the absence of speech. More recently, two lines of work have evolved in an effort to explore further these cross-cultural differences in gesture. He also noted the consistent, conspicuous and elaborate nature of these gestures, echoing earlier authors (e.g., De Jorio, 1832 e.g., De Jorio, 2000) who observed that Italian speakers gesture extensively and use a large, common vocabulary of gestural forms (see also Kendon, 1995, 2004a). Efron studied Italian immigrants to the USA and discovered an extensive vocabulary of gestures whose meanings were widely shared and often used in place of speech. One of the first systematic studies of the gestures that Italian speakers produce was Efron’s (1941). Indeed, travelers to Italy can now choose from a wide array of ‘gesture dictionaries’ (e.g., Diadori, 1990 Munari, 1994) compiled for the non-specialist describing the many gestures that are commonly attributed to Italian speakers.
The gestures of Italian speakers are both frequent and elaborate – an observation that is apparent to even the most casual observer.
Italian culture is widely claimed to be gesture-rich (e.g., Kendon, 1995, 2004b).