Greeting

A greeting is an expression or act of welcome, acknowledgment, or goodwill offered when meeting or addressing someone. Its form can signal relationship, setting, and cultural expectations.

Salutation: A conventional word or phrase used to greet someone or open a letter. Salutations are the verbal forms commonly used to deliver greetings.
Handshake: A greeting or agreement gesture in which two people clasp and move their hands. Handshakes are a widely recognized physical greeting, especially in formal encounters.
Phatic expression: A conventional utterance used mainly to establish or maintain social contact rather than convey information. Many greetings create connection even when they communicate little factual content.
Farewell: An expression or act used when parting from someone. Farewells mark the end of contact, while greetings open or renew it.
Nonverbal communication: Communication through signals other than words, including gesture, posture, facial expression, and gaze. Many greetings rely on bodily signals rather than speech.
Bow: A gesture of respect or acknowledgment made by bending the head or upper body. Bowing serves as a greeting in several cultural and formal settings.
Ritual: A patterned action performed according to shared conventions and carrying social or symbolic significance. Repeated greeting forms turn an encounter into a socially ordered event.
Introduction: An act of presenting one person to another or making oneself known. Introductions establish identities; greetings acknowledge or welcome someone.
Speech act: An utterance understood as performing an action, such as promising, requesting, or apologizing. A greeting does something socially; it is not merely a statement.
Namaste: A South Asian greeting and gesture commonly made with palms pressed together and a slight bow. It illustrates how words and gestures can form a single greeting practice.

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