Signs

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Signs Myths
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Introduction to Semiotics

• Semiotics the study of signs
• Linguistic signs just one aspect many kinds of
  signs
• System wherein something (sign) carries meaning
  for someone

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Origins of semiotics

• Ferdinand de Saussure (1915)
• language already there so our perception
  understanding of reality constructed by words
  other signs
• language other sign systems give form meaning
  to thought experience

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Sign systems

• de S showed that linguistic sign arbitrary
• Arbor tree
• Equos horse
• Becomes meaningful through convention
• linguistic signs depend on existence in social
  context

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Key Ideas

• 2 important ideas
• linguistic signs arbitrary
• language system of rules, which allow us to
  select signs meaningfully
• signs acquire meaning thru difference from other
  signs
• language as system of relations

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Components of the sign

• signifier signified
• signifier vehicle (marks on page, letters or
  photos) in material world
• signified concept that signifier calls forth
• signifier signified together make up sign
• meaning generated thru relationships between
  signifiers signified shaped by signifier (not
  the other way round)
• ie systems that structure language also structure
  our experience of reality

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Types of signs

• Symbolic
• Iconic
• indexical

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Symbolic Signs

• Symbolic
• signifier does not resemble the signified but is
  fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional
• linguistic signs clearly arbitrary symbolic
• tree doesnt look or sound like a tree
• Other symbolic signs

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Iconic signs

• but photo of cat looks like cat iconic sign -
  signifier resembles referent
• Still understand them through convention
• Learn to read iconic signs too

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Indexical Signs

• Somewhat difficult concept
• signifier is not arbitrary but is directly
  connected in some way (physically or causally) to
  the signified

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Connotation myth

• denotation (labelling) connotation
  (associations)
• Stubborn strong-willed or pig-headed?
• this is making of myth ie ways of thinking re
  people, products, places, ideas
• structured to send messages
• We combine signs in complex ways to endow denoted
  objects with mythic meanings

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Myth and ideology

• is our image of world natural, common sense,
  unchangeable, human nature?
• myth renders these highly conventionalized
  structures as natural
• myth things used as signs to communicate social
  political message
• ideology way of perceiving reality
• myth serves ideological interest of particular
  group

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codes

• system in which signs organized into groups
• language grouped in coded sets of signs

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