Suunatavast

Suunatavast is a fictional or hypothetical term used in discussions of multimodal communication to denote a proposed class of mouth-centered signals that accompany spoken language. The concept is not widely established in formal linguistics but recurs in speculative literature and design notes on human–computer interaction. In this usage, a suunatavast cue refers to a deliberate or automatic configuration of the mouth and jaw—such as brief jaw constriction, lip rounding, or micro-movements near the mouth—that listeners can interpret as meaningful alongside the verbal content. Unlike general facial expressions or vocal prosody, suunatavast signals are identified as discrete, mouth-bound gestures that can help coordinate turn-taking, indicate emphasis, or convey assent in environments with reduced acoustic clarity or in avatar-based communication.

Researchers exploring multimodal interaction consider suunatavast cues as potential building blocks for more natural dialogue systems and social robots. They may be studied in experimental setups using video recordings, motion capture, or real-time avatar synthesis to assess how such cues affect perceived fluency and reliance on nonverbal signals. The term itself often appears in speculative or early-stage discourse rather than as a standardized category, and its exact definition can vary across authors.

See also: Nonverbal communication, turn-taking, multimodal interaction.