Nonverbal Language in the Letters of Dhū al-Wizāratayn (Lisān al-Dīn Ibn al-Khaṭīb)

Abstract

Spoken language has long been central to human communication and received early scholarly focus, while nonverbal expression remained overlooked until al-Jāḥiẓ highlighted its role through bodily gestures and agreed signs. Since then, it has been seen as vital to rethinking discourse. The epistles of Dhū al-Wizāratayn Lisān al-Dīn ibn al-Khaṭīb reveal a rich use of such symbols that has not been previously analyzed. This study seeks to uncover their symbolic and implicit meanings using methodological tools to highlight their hidden dimensions.