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Semiotics is about a System of Meaning

Semiotics is about a System of Meaning. The word “ cat ” only makes sense in relation to other words: “ dog ” “ animal ” “ pet ” “ owner ” “ cute ” “ purr ” “ lick ” “ hunt ”. Semiotics is about a System of Meaning. “ purr ”. “ cute ”. “ owner ”. “ lick ”. “ cat ”. “ hunt ”.

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Semiotics is about a System of Meaning

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  1. Semiotics is about aSystem of Meaning • The word “cat” only makes sense in relation to other words: • “dog” • “animal” • “pet” • “owner” • “cute” • “purr” • “lick” • “hunt”

  2. Semiotics is about aSystem of Meaning • “purr” • “cute” • “owner” • “lick” • “cat” • “hunt” • “animal” • “dog”

  3. Semiotics is about aSystem of Meaning • No sign can make sense on its own but only in relation to other signs.

  4. Semiotics is about aSystem of Meaning • No sign can make sense on its own but only in relation to other signs. • The meaning of signs is in their systematic relation to each other rather than deriving from any inherent features of signifiers or any reference to material things.

  5. Semiotics is about aSystem of Meaning The word “cat” has more in common with other words than it does an actual cat, or whatever a ??? may actually be.

  6. Language isBinaristic and Negative • Cold vs. Hot • Happy vs. Sad • Sleep vs. Awake • Free vs. Pay • Pretty vs. Ugly • West vs. East • Paper vs. Plastic • Republican vs. Democrat • Healthy vs. Sick • Few vs. Many • Cat vs. Dog • Man vs. Woman • Nature vs. Culture • Good vs. Evil • Yes vs. No • Black vs. White • 0 vs. 1 • Life vs. Death • Gay vs. Straight • Up vs. Down

  7. Things are defined not by what they are, but by what they are not.

  8. Things are defined not by what they are, but by what they are not. “red”

  9. Most of the information communicated is actually negative. “red”

  10. Linguistic Signs are Immaterial(Saussure) • Word signifiers have no material value magically embedded in their sounds or appearance.

  11. Linguistic Signs are Immaterial(Saussure) • Word signifiers have no material value magically embedded in their sounds or appearance. • This immateriality is their value. • If linguistic signs draw attention to their materiality this hinders their communicative transparency. • New words can be invented or imported as needed

  12. Dyadic Model (Saussure) Signified is psychological Signifier is physical, sensual

  13. Triadic Model (Peirce) Object in the real world or speaker’s mind Signified is psychological Signifier is physical, sensual

  14. Triadic Model (Peirce) Object in the real world or speaker’s mind Interpretant is meaning from decoding representamen Representamen is physical, sensual

  15. Three ways signs represent objects(Peirce) • Symbol • Icon • Index

  16. Three ways signs represent objects(Peirce) • Symbol • Arbitrary or purely conventional • 100% needs to be learned • language in general, alphabet, punctuation marks, numbers, Morse code, traffic lights • Icon • Index

  17. Three ways signs represent objects(Peirce) • Symbol • Arbitrary or purely conventional • 100% needs to be learned • language in general, alphabet, punctuation marks, numbers, Morse code, traffic lights • Icon • Resembling or imitating the signified • similar in some quality • portrait, cartoon, onomatopoeia, metaphors, sound effects imitative gestures • Index

  18. Three ways signs represent objects(Peirce) • Symbol • Arbitrary or purely conventional • 100% needs to be learned • language in general, alphabet, punctuation marks, numbers, Morse code, traffic lights • Icon • Resembling or imitating the signified • similar in some quality • portrait, cartoon, onomatopoeia, metaphors, sound effects imitative gestures • Index • existential connection to the signified • evidence, smoke, footprints, pain, thermometer, clock, knock on a door, photograph, handwriting,

  19. Three ways signs represent objects(Peirce) • Symbol • Icon Signs can be one, two or all three of these at once. • Index

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