Fig sign
The fig sign (Belarusian: дуля; Czech: fík; Hungarian: fityisz, füge; Lithuanian: špyga; Macedonian: шипка; Montenegrin - šipak; Polish: figa; Croatian: figa, figu; Russian: кукиш, шиш, дуля, фига, фиг; Slovak: figa; Slovene: figa; Serbian: шипак; Turkish: Nah; Ukrainian: дуля; Yiddish: פייג) is a mildly obscene gesture used in Turkish and Slavic cultures and some other cultures that uses two fingers and a thumb, but not equal to the finger in Anglo-American culture.
The finger position is an approximate representation of glans penis, which is reflected in the name (in Russian "шиш", literally "pine cone", is a metonym for penis or tip of the penis), or of a clitoris, also reflected in the name (in many languages fig is a euphemism for vulva). This gesture is most commonly used to refuse giving of aid or to disagree with the target of gesture. Usually it is connected with requests for a financial loan or assistance with performing physical work.
Another use of this gesture is for warding off evil eye, jealousy, etc.
In Ancient Rome, the fig sign, or mano fico, was made by the pater familias to ward off the evil spirits of the dead as a part of the Lemuria ritual.[1]
More anciently, it was the symbol of the fertility cult of The Goddess, Tanit or Ashtarte, and it was widely represented by painted or sculpted symbols in stone and and portable amulets that were carried on the person, representing the powers of her hand, hand gesture used to invoke her. The oldest of these, made in ivory, are almost 8, 000 years old and must have symbolized former cults and forms of divinities alike the later known ones.
Recently, it has also become a common term in Padonkaffsky jargon to refer to Control-Alt-Delete. Svitlana Pyrkalo, a producer at the BBC World Ukrainian Service, explained that "you need three fingers to press the buttons. So it's like telling somebody (a computer in this case) to get lost."[2]
The letter "T" in the American manual alphabet is identical to this gesture.
International nomenclature
- In Italy this sign, known as "fica", or "far le fiche" (cunt gesture), for the resemblance to female genitalia, was a common and very rude gesture in past centuries, similar to the finger, but has long since fallen out of use. Notably, a remnant of its usage is found in Dante's Divine Comedy (Inferno, Canto XXV).
- In Turkey this sign, known as "nah", is a widely known and highly offensive gesture that is generally done to reject an offer from someone.
- In Macedonia this gesture is known as шипка ("rose hip") and this is the expression that often accompanies the gesture: на, шипки!, literally meaning "here's some rose hips!" and figuratively "no way!".
- In Greece and particularly in the Ionian Islands this gesture is still used as an alternative to the moutza.
- In Japan this sign is called セックス (sekkusu) and means sex. Since 1989, it has fallen into disuse.[3]
- In Romania, this sign is called (and often accompanied by the expression) ciuciu[citation needed], a slang term meaning nothing, no way, its original sense being however penis.[4]
- In Kenya this sign is used by the maasai tribe to denote the number five.
- In Brazil this sign is known as "figas", and symbolizes wishes of good fortune.
See also
References
- ↑ Adkins, Lesley (2004). Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome: p317.
- ↑ Kleinman, Zoe (16 August 2010). "How the internet is changing language". BBC News. Retrieved 16 August 2010.
- ↑ Hamiru-aqui (2008). 70 Japanese Gestures. Translated by Aileen Chang. Stone Bridge Press. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-1933330013. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
- ↑ The definition of the word ciuciu in the Romanian Dictionary
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