Learning a language means learning a whole new set of gestures, noises and utterances, not just regular words. And so the other day there I was speaking with a short termer on the ins and outs of hissing to get people's attention. I find out that the short, repeated hiss is to call a dog while the single long hiss is to call out to someone you know (calling out their name is rude). And my heart sinks as I realise I have been using the dog version to get Evie's attention at times for the better part of a year. At least both of us have been in the dark about that! As an aside, the fact that men use the short repeated hiss as women walk past sort of increases the level of insult I, as a foreigner feel...not necessarily shared by local women. Different context, different framework.
And so, the learning continues. To point, you purse your lips. To indicate height you hold your hand out vertically rather than horizontally. The noises you make with babies are different, a sort of clicking against your teeth. I could go on, but enough for today!
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