proxemics

1 9.9

The study of how people use space and keep distance from others

noun
/prɒkˈsiːmɪks/

Specialized

: proxémica

Proxemics examines how different cultures maintain proxemics during conversations.

Examples

Korte's model includes several different ways the body might communicate, such as "kinesics" (body movements, facial expressions, posture), "haptics" (touching behavior), and "proxemics" (spatial behavior).

Academic text (2018)
The proxemics approach adopted in this paper, that is, "the interrelated observations and theories of man's use of space as a specialized elaboration of culture" (Hall 1966: 1), allows us to grasp the Teenek sense of social singularity.

Academic text (2008)
In her research, she focused on proxemics to understand how people react to others invading their personal space.
The study of proxemics reveals how cultural differences influence the physical distance people keep from one another.

Surface Forms

proxemics singular

proxemics plural

Morphology

proxemics = proxemic (semi-transparent) = proxemic + s

Formed by adding the field-of-study suffix (as in 'semantics') to the adjective 'proxemic' (itself a technical derivative of 'proximity'), so the formation is recognizable but technical.

Etymology

The word proxemics comes from the root prox- meaning 'near', seen in familiar words like proximity and approximate. It names the study of how people use the space around them, so proxemics helps us understand how 'near' or 'far' people stand and why that matters.