Body language

[magid]

A long time ago, preparing for a trip to Ethiopia, I was taught that to be polite when shaking hands, one should hold the right forearm with the left hand, to show the importance, the almost-literal weightiness of the situation. I admit, I rather like the symbolism.

Last week, I bought some new clothes, and when the woman ringing up the sale took my plastic, she touched her right forearm with her left hand, ever so briefly. It was the same gesture, though, from a woman who wasn't born here, and, if the store's ethnicity is anything to go by, is likely from somewhere around Nepal. Which is, obviously, reasonably far from Ethiopia.

Which got me to wondering how prevelant this custom is; I haven't heard of it being used in the bits of Europe I've been in.

Comments

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

In TKD, you put the left hand under the right elbow when shaking hands, to show that you are not carrying any weapons.

[magid.livejournal.com]

...other than the hands themselves, that is :-).

Very similar, though. Hm. TKD came from Japan, yes?
Maybe a pan-Asia-and-into-Africa range for original usage.

[danger-chick.livejournal.com]

Well, Korean, but it's derivative of Karate, which is Japanese, which is derivative of Kung Fu, which is Chinese.