gesturing
UK[ˈdʒɛstʃərɪŋ]US[ˈdʒɛstʃərɪŋ]
v
Making a movement, especially of the hands or arms, to express an idea or meaning.
v
Using gestures to indicate or direct.
Morpheme Breakdown
gest
ure
ing
gest
to carry, to bear
ure
noun suffix
ing
verb suffix/participle
Etymology
The word 'gesturing' originates from the Latin verb gerere, meaning "to carry, to bear, or to conduct." This root evolved into the Latin noun gestus, referring to the "carrying" or "bearing" of oneself, which came to signify a bodily posture or movement. Entering English via Old French as 'gesture,' the term retained the core concept of a physical action that "bears" or conveys meaning. The addition of the '-ing' suffix transforms it into the active verbal form, describing the very process of using such meaningful movements to communicate or emphasize.
Analysis
Structure: gest (to carry, to bear) + ure (noun suffix) + ing (verb suffix/participle)
- gest: From Latin gerere (to carry, to bear, to conduct). In this word, it carries the sense of "bearing" an action or meaning.
- ure: A suffix of Latin origin forming nouns denoting an action, process, or result.
- ing: A suffix of Old English origin forming the present participle or gerund of verbs.
Examples
She was gesturing wildly to get the waiter's attention.
The speaker kept gesturing towards the chart to emphasize his point.
Without gesturing, his story would have been much harder to understand.