This was another new word for me today. Have any of you heard it? There is only one entry for this at onelook:

quote:

Main Entry: para·ver·bal
Pronunciation: -'v&r-b&l
Function: adjective
: being nonverbal communication <paraverbal techniques in the therapy of childhood —Journal of the American Medical Association>

When I googled, I found this description and some examples that coincide with what I learned about today.

Have you all heard it? Used it?

Does this not relate to metalanguage?

Surely I have known the concept, but I hadn't known the word. It makes sense, though.

Along the same lines as paratext 'outside the text (under consideration)'. And paradise from the Persian word (nowadays Farsi) for 'outside the wall' (those walled gardens; cf. Avestan pairidaeza) via Greek παραδεισος (paradeisos) 'royal park'; the second morpheme is realted to Latin fingo 'to form' (which gives us figure and fiction), English dough, Greek τειχος (teikhos) 'wall'. Also, parergon 'outside the work; framing' (cf. French hors d'oeuvre), from outside and erg- 'work' (cf. English energy, work).