SEMIOTICS (also called
semiology) is the science of signs, that is, the systematic analysis of language, symbol and image, in order to discover how meaning is created. This approach is associated with
Ferdinand de Saussure (1857 - 1913) who explains a sign as being made up of two parts: a signifier (the physical appearance or form which the sign takes) and a signified (the idea or concept it represents).
- Signs take the form of words, images or objects.
- Signs are arbitrary. Think of the different words used for 'rose' or 'chair' in different languages.
- This means that these things have no intrinsic meaning in themselves and become signs only when they are invested with meaning. For Peirce, 'Nothing is a sign until it is interpreted as a sign.' (Peirce 1931)
- A sign 'stands for' or refers to something other than itself.
Daniel Chandler, University Of Aberystwyth: DIY Semiotics
Daniel Chandler: Semiotics for Beginners
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