32 LIE— TRUTH— OFFSPRING. 



and the Maya negative particle "m" given by Landa there is a strong 

 coincidence. 



Lie, falsehood, is almost universally expressed by some figurative varia- 

 tion on the generic theme of a forked or double tongue — "two different 

 stories" — in which the first two fingers on the right hand separate from the 

 month. One reported sign precedes the latter motion by the right hand 

 touching the breast over the heart. (Hoffman.) Another instance given, 

 however, is when the index is extended from the two corners of the mouth 

 successively. (Ealy.) Still another is by passing the hand from right to 

 left close by and across the mouth, with the first two fingers of the hand 

 opened, thumb and other fingers closed. (Dodge; Ndtshes.) A further variant 

 employed by the Utes is made by closing the right hand and placing the tips 

 of the first two fingers upon the ball of the extended thumb, and snapping 

 them forward straight and separated while passing the hand from the mouth 

 forward and to the left. In the same tribe the index is more commonly 

 moved, held straight upward and forward, alternately toward the left and 

 right front. " Talk two ways." Truth, true, is naturally contradistinguished 

 by the use of a single finger, the index, pointing straight from the mouth 

 forward and sometimes upward — "One tongue; speech straight to the front; 

 no talk behind a man." Sometimes, however, the breast is the initial point, 

 as in the French deaf-mute sign for "sincere." The deaf-mutes also gesture 

 "truth" by moving one finger straight from the lips — "straight-forward 

 speaking" — but distinguish "lie" by moving the finger to one side — "side- 

 ways speaking." 



Offspring or descendant, child in filial relation — not simply as young 

 humanity — is generally denoted by a slightly varied dumb show of issu- 

 ance from the loins, the line traced sometimes showing a close diagnosis of 

 parturition. This is particularly noticeable in the following description : 

 Place the left hand in front of the body, a little to the right, the palm 

 downward and slightly arched ; pass the extended right hand downward, 

 forward, and upward, forming a short curve underneath the left. (Hoffman.) 

 The sign, with additions, means "father," "mother," "grandparent," but its 

 expurgated form among the French deaf-mutes means "parentage" gener- 

 ically, for which term there is a special sign reported from our Indians by 



