This paper introduces a manual movement performed recurrently by German children in the age range of four to six. Based on the movement gestalt and its meaning, we termed it the Slapping movement. All forms identified in the data were performed with a communicative function, yet they showed different degrees of “gesturality.” To be more precise, we observed versions that clearly count as actions or gestures, but we also observed transitional forms between them. Based on a thorough analyses of form, meaning, and context we determined variations of the Slapping gesture that showed different degrees of abstraction from action to gesture in a semiotic sense. These degrees are distinguished by modifications in the execution of the movement and different levels of form stability, environmental coupling, and representational complexity.

中文翻译：

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从动作到表演姿势：四六岁儿童的拍打动作

本文介绍了德国 4 至 6 岁儿童反复进行的一项手动运动。根据运动格式塔及其含义，我们将其命名为拍打运动。数据中确定的所有形式都具有交际功能，但它们表现出不同程度的“手势”。更准确地说，我们观察到明显算作动作或手势的版本，但我们也观察到它们之间的过渡形式。基于对形式、意义和上下文的全面分析，我们确定了拍打手势的变体，这些变体在符号学意义上显示了从动作到手势的不同抽象程度。这些程度的区别在于运动执行的修改和不同级别的形式稳定性、环境耦合和表征复杂性。