viittoilemalla

Viittoilemalla is a Finnish adverbial participle meaning “by gesturing” or “through gesturing.” It refers to communicating with hand or arm movements rather than spoken language. The form is derived from the verb viittoilla, which means to gesture or signal with the hands, and viittoilemalla literally denotes performing an action by gesturing.

Grammatically, viittoilemalla is the gerund form created with the -malla suffix, used to describe the manner in which something is done. It can modify the main verb or sentence, for example: “Hän viittoilemalla kertoi ohjeet” or “Käytännössä viittoilemalla osoitettiin suunta,” indicating that the message was conveyed through gestures. In everyday Finnish, other related forms such as viittoen (by gesturing) are also used to express similar meaning, varying slightly in tone or emphasis.

In use, viittoilemalla appears in contexts where spoken language is impractical or unnecessary: directing people at a distance, signaling groups in noisy environments, or describing nonverbal communication in narrative prose. It also may carry a metaphorical sense, referring to signaling or hinting indirectly rather than speaking outright.

See also: viittoilla, viittomakieli, eleet, nonverbal communication.