gesture (n.)

A term used in PHONOLOGY for a MATRIX of FEATURES specifying a particular characteristic of a SEGMENT. For example, an ‘oral gesture’ would specify all SUPRAGLOTTAL characteristics (such as PLACE and MANNER OF ARTICULATION), and a ‘laryngeal gesture’ would specify characteristics of PHONATION. The notion is particularly used in DEPENDENCY PHONOLOGY, where ‘categorial’, ‘articulatory’ and ‘initiatory’ gestures are distinguished. Gestures, in turn, are analyzed into subgestures; for example, the initiatory gesture is analyzed into the subgestures of GLOTTAL STRICTURE, airstream direction and airstream source.

In GESTURAL PHONOLOGY, an interval of activation in the stream of speech. Gestures are planned actions, serially ordered, specified dynamically (e.g. in terms of ARTICULATORY force and stiffness), with an intrinsic DURATION, and CONTEXT-free.