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A nod of the head is a gesture in which the head is tilted in alternating up and down arcs along the sagittal plane. In many cultures, it is most commonly, but not universally, used to indicate agreement, acceptance, or acknowledgment. "Nod" or "nodding" can also be used as a slang term to describe the physiological side effect related to consuming heroin or other opiates. Casual heroin users tend to nod as they drift between sleep and consciousness.
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Nodding to indicate acceptance
Different cultures assign different meanings to the gesture. Nodding to indicate "yes" is widespread, and appears in a large number of diverse cultural and linguistic groups. Areas in which nodding generally takes this meaning include Indian subcontinent (note that the head bobble also shows agreement there), Iran, Western Europe, and North America. Nodding may also be used as a sign of recognition in some areas.
Origin
There are varying theories as to why nodding is so frequently used to mean "yes". One simple theory is that it is a form of bowing, indicating that one is prepared to accept what another person is saying or requesting. It has also been stated[1][2] that babies, when hungry, search for their mother's milk by moving their heads vertically, but decline milk by turning their head from side to side. This has led some to speculate that nodding for "yes" is at least partially innate, although an explanation for some cultures' divergence would then be required.
An early survey of nodding and other gestures was The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, written by Charles Darwin in 1872. Darwin wrote to missionaries in many parts of the world asking for information on local gestures, and concluded that nodding for "yes" was common to many different groups.
Nodding to indicate rejection
In some countries (Bulgaria and Sri Lanka) nodding actually has the opposite meaning: "no". It is possible that with the spread of Western culture, the Western use of the gesture has supplanted local usage in certain places.
Rumor has it that during the Ottoman Empire rule in Bulgaria, people were trained to reverse the meaning of shaking and nodding heads in an attempt to confuse Turkish occupiers. The habit stuck and now people in Bulgaria by nodding mean "no".
Nod of acknowledgment
The nod of acknowledgment is a slight nod of the head in either a slight upwards or slight downwards motion. Despite the fact that the nod of acknowledgment is generally used among males, there are women that choose this method of acknowledgment over the standard verbal greeting or a simple wave of the hand. Although this may seem like a simple gesture there are many nuances that can either make an exchange or break itcitation needed.
Machines
The nodding movement is used also in moving figures also known as bobbleheads installed on vehicles like cars where the car movements induce oscillations of the figure that seems to be nodding.
References
- Charles. The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1913; Page 272, accessed through Google Book Search.
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