SEMI

OTI
CSBYPRLOUI
SOBOU

COURSETI
TLE:
SEMI
OTI
CS:LEARNI
NGTOTHI
NKANDANALYSESEMI
OTI
CALLY
PrLoui
sOBOU
- COURSEOBJECTI
VES

- Tof
ami
l
iar
izer
eader
swi
tht
hesemi
oti
cappr
oach.
- To pr
ovi
de model
s used i
n semi
oti
c met
alanguage,and an exampl
e of
semi
oti
canal
ysi
sappl
i
edt
oat
ext
.

- COURSECONTENTPERSESSI
ON

I
NTRODUCTI
ON

 Ther
eis a cer
tai
n amountoft
echni
call
anguage i
nvol
ved wi
th semi
oti
c
anal
ysi
sthatcannotbeav
oided.
 Semi
oti
csi
saf
orm ofappl
i
edl
i
ngui
sti
cs:i
thasbeenappl
i
edt
oev
ery
thi
ng
f
rom f
ashi
ont
oadv
ert
isi
ng.
 Themostf
undament
alconcepti
nsemi
oti
csi
sthesi
gn;semi
oti
ctheor
ist
s
posi
thumanbei
ngsassi
gn-
maki
ngandsi
gn-
int
erpr
eti
ngani
mal
s.I
tiswi
th
si
gnst
hatt
hisdi
scussi
onofsemi
oti
csandcul
tur
alcr
it
ici
sm begi
ns.

Chapt
er1:Whati
ssemi
oti
cs?
- Thet
erm“
semi
oti
cs”der
ivedf
rom t
heGr dsèmei
eekwor ondenot
ing'
si
gn'
.
- I
nthesev
ent
eent
hcent
ury
,thephi
l
osopherJohnLocker
efer
r osemi
edt oti
ka,
whi
chhedef
inedas'
theDoct
ri
neofSi
gns,[
..
.]
;thebusi
nesswher
eofi
sto
consi
dert
heNat
ureofSi
gns,t
heMi
ndmakesuseoff
ort
heunder
standi
ngof
Thi
ngs,
orconv
eyi
ngi
tsKnowl
edget
oot
her
s'.
- Semi
oti
csdesi
gnat heonehand,acogni
es,ont ti
vef
acul
tyandont
heot
her
,a
di
sci
pli
neofknowl
edge.
- I
nmoder
nusaget
heconceptsemi
oti
csr
efer
stoat
heor
yofsi
gni
fi
cat
ion.
Ther
ear
edi
ff
erentbr
anchesofsemi
oti
csundert
hisheadi
ng:Amer
icanBr
ach/
Eur
opeanBr
anch
- Semi
otcs exami
i nes t
he way
sli
ngui
sti
c and nonl
i
ngui
sti
c obj
ect
s and
 SEMI
OTI
CSBYPRLOUI
SOBOU

behav
iour
soper
atesy
mbol
i
cal
l
yto«t
ell»ussomet
hing.
TheAmer
icanbr
anchi
nfl
uencedbyC.S.Pei
rce.MuchofPei
rce'
swor
kisdev
otedt
o
t
hedev
elopmentofsi
gncat
egor
iessuchasmaki
ngadi
sti
nct
ionbet
weeni
con,
index
andsy
mbol
.TheAmer
icanf
ounderofsemi
oti
cs,
Pei
rcedi
sti
ngui
shedbet
weent
hree
basi
cki
ndsofsi
gn.Ther
ewast
hei
coni
c,wher
ethesi
gnsomehowr
esembl
edwhati
t
st
ood f
or(
a phot
ogr
aph ofa per
son,f
orexampl
e);t
he i
ndexi
cal(
smoke)
;the
sy
mbol
ic,wher
easwi
thSaussur
ethesi
gni
sonl
yar
bit
rar
il
yorconv
ent
ional
l
yli
nked
wi
thi
tsr
efer
ent
.
Semi
oti
cs t
akes up t
his and many ot
hercl
assi
fi
cat
ions:i
tdi
sti
ngui
shes
bet
ween«denot
ati
on»(
whatt
hesi
gnst
andsf
or)and«connot
ati
on»(
othersi
gns
associ
atedwi
thi
t)
;bet
weencodes(
thesi
gn-
gov
ernedst
ruct
ureswhi
chpr
oduce
meani
ngs)andt
hemessagest
ransmi
tt
edbyt
hem;bet
weent
he“
par
adi
gmat
ic“(a
whol
ecl
assofsi
gnswhi
chmayst
andi
nforoneanot
her
)inaachai
n“)
.Itspeaksof
“
met
alanguages”
,wher
eonesi
gn-
syst
em denot
esanot
hersi
gn-
syst
em (
ther
elat
ion
bet
weenl
i
ter
arycr
it
ici
sm andl
i
ter
atur
e,f
ori
nst
ance)
,“pol
ysemi
c”si
gnswhi
chhav
e
mor
ethanonemeani
ng,
andagr
eatmanyot
hert
echni
cal
concept
s.(
Eagl
eton,
p.88)
.

a)The Eur
opean br
anch r
epr
esent
ed byt
he Par
is School( e de Par
Ecol is)
f
oundedbyA.J.Gr
eimas.ThePar
isSchooli
sconcer
nedpr
imar
il
ywi
tht
he
r
elat
ionshi
p bet
ween si
gns,and wi
tht
he manneri
n whi
ch t
heypr
oduce
meani
ngwi
thi
nagi
vent
extordi
scour
se.

Chapt
er2:Si
gnsi
nSemi
oti
cs

-Wel
i
vei
nawor
ldofsi
gns,
andofsi
gnsaboutsi
gns.I
nter
msofl
i
ter
aryanal
ysi
s,
semi
oti
csi
sint
erest
edi
nli
ter
aryconv
ent
ionsandsi
gnsy
stem.
A si
gnsy
stem i
sal
i
ngui
sti
cornonl
i
ngui
sti
cobj
ectorbehav
iourt
hatcanbe
anal
ysedasi
fitwer
easpeci
ali
zedl
anguage.Forsemi
oti
cians,any
thi
ngcanbea
si
gn.Thewhol
ewor
ldofhumancul
tur
eisa«t
ext»wai
ti
ngt
obe«r
ead»
.
Eachsi
gni
nthesy
stem hasmeani
ngonl
ybyv
irt
ueofi
tsdi
ff
erencef
rom ot
her
s.
ToBar
thes,ev
ery
thi
ngendsupbei
ngexpl
ainedi
nwor
ds,t
hus,ul
ti
mat
ely
,it
woul
dbet
het
heor
eti
calsy
stem ofl
i
ngui
sti
cs,whi
chexpl
ainst
hepr
oduct
ionoft
he
meani
ngaccompl
ishedbyt
heact
ionofv
ari
oussi
gns,
what
evert
hei
rnat
ure:
images,
sy
mbol
s,obj
ect
s,andbehav
ior
s.
 SEMI
OTI
CSBYPRLOUI
SOBOU

Thepat
h-br
eaki
ngf
igur
es,t
heey
e-opener
sont
heuseandf
unct
ionsofsi
gnswi
l
lbe
pr
esent
edandt
hei
rfi
ndi
ngsanal
ysed.

 Fer
dinanddeSaussur
e

I
nhi
spost
humoust shedbookACour
ypubl
i sei
nGener
alLi
ngui
sti
cs,
1974(
Cour
sdel
i
ngui
sti
quegénér
ale,
1916)
,Saussur
e(1966)st
ates:

Languagei sasy stem ofsignst hatexpressideas,andi stherefor

e
compar abl
et oasy st
em ofwr it
ing[ …]Butitisthemosti mportantof
al
lt hesesy stems. A sciencet hatstudiesthel i
feofsi gnswi thi
n
societyis conceivableitwoul d be par tofsoci alpsychologyand
consequentlyofgener alpsychol ogy;Ishallcalli
tsemi ol
ogy( from
Greek,semei on"sign"
)Semi ologywoul dshowwhatconst i
tutessigns,
whatlawsgov er
nt hem.(p.16).

Thi
squot
ati
onf
ormsmuchoft
hebasi
sofSaussur
e’ssemi
oti
cthought
.Hest
ates
t
hatt
hel
ingui
sti
csi
gni
sthecombi
nat
ionofsi
gni
fi
er(
sound,obj
ect
,image,ort
he
l
i
ke)andsi
gni
fi
ed(
concept
).Ther
elat
iont
hatexi
stsbet
weent
hesi
gni
fi
erandt
he
si
gni
fi
edi
sar
bit
rar
y,basedonconv
ent
ion,
or,
touset
het
echni
calt
erm,
unmot
ivat
ed
(
p.68,
69)
:“t
hebondbet
weent
hesi
gni
fi
erandt
hrsi
gni
fi
edi
sar
bit
rar
y…t
hel
i
ngui
sti
c
si
gni
sar
bit
rar
y”(
p.68)
.Inaddi
ti
on,Saussur
easser
tst
hatconcept
sdonotmean
any
thi
ngi
nthemsel
ves;t
heygai
nthei
rmeani
ngsonl
yrel
ati
onal
l
y ordi
ff
erent
ial
l
y:
"
Concept
sar
epur
elydi
ff
erent
ialanddef
inednotbyt
hei
rposi
ti
vechar
act
eri
sti
csbut
negat
ivel
ybyt
hei
rrel
ati
onswi
tht
heot
her t
ermsof t
hesy
stem"(
p.117)
.Foral
l
pr
act
icalpur
poses,t
he most i
mpor
tant r
elat
ionshi
p among t
erms i
s bi
nar
y
opposi
ti
on.

I
nter
msofsi
gni
fi
cat
ion,at
ri
par
ti
tesy
stem exi
sts,ev
ent
houghSaussur
eonl
y
ment
ionst
hebi
nar
ism si
gni
fi
er/si
gni
fi
ed,uni
tedi
nthesi
gn.Wemustaddat
hir
d
t
ermt
oav
oidconf
usi
onatt
hisst
age:
ref
erent(f
rom t
heGer
manphi
l
osopherGot
tl
ob
Fr
ege)
.Ther
efer
enti
sthe“
it
em”t
owhi
cht
hesi
gn(uni
fyi
ngt
hesi
gni
fi
erandt
he
si
gni
fi
ed)r
efer
s.Thust
her
eisnotsi
mpl
ya“
wor
d”anda“
thi
ng”
,ther
eisawor
d,a
conceptandar
efer
ent
.Ther
efer
enti
sonl
yone-
thi
rdoft
hemeani
ng.Sosi
gni
fi
cat
ion
cent
resont
hewor
dswhi
chappeart
oper
for
mthosef
unct
ions..
Meani
ngi
spossi
ble
onl
ybyv
irt
ueofi
tssy
stemi
cfunct
ion.

Whatwegr
aspi
nther
elat
ionshi
pisnott
hesequent
ialor
der
ingwher
ebyone
t
erml
eadst
otheot
her
,butt
hecor
rel
ati chuni
onwhi test
hem.I
nrespectofl
anguage
 SEMI
OTI
CSBYPRLOUI
SOBOU

t
his‘
str
uct
uralr
elat
ionshi weensound-
p’bet image(
signi
fi
er)andconcept(
signi
fi
ed)
const
it
uteswhatSaussur
ecal
l
sthel
i
ngui
sti
csi
gn.

 Char
lesWi
ll
iam Mor
ri
s
Mor
ri
sisanAmer
icanphi
l
osopherofl
anguage.Hegr
ouped cer
tai
naspect
sof
l
anguageundert
hreeheadi
ngswhi
chhecal
l
ed“semi
oti
ccat
egor
ies”
:(p.
26)
- Sy
ntax-t
hisi
sthef
ormal
rel
ati
onbet
weensi
gnsandot
hersi
gns(wor
ds)
,
t
heor
der
ingofel
ement
sinat
ext
,andt
her
elat
ionswhi
chexi
stbet
ween
t
hoseel
ement
s.
- Semant
ics-i
sther
elat
ionbet
weensi
gnsandt
hewor
ld.
.iti
sconcer
ned
wi
thsenseandmeani
ng.
- Pr
agmat
ics-i
sther
elat
ionbet
weensi
gnsandi
nter
pret
ersanduser
s.
I
nthey
ear
s1930,
Mor
ri
sest
abl
i
shesal
i
nkbet
weenpr
agmat
ism andt
heanal
ysi
sof
t
hesi
gn.Hei
sanAmer
icanphi
l
osopherofl nSi
anguage(i gns,Language,Behavi
or,
NewYor
k,Geor
geBr
azi
l
ier
,1946.Mor
ri
s’cat
egor
izat
ionofsi
gns.
a)SI
GNDI
MENSI
ONS

- Peopl
ear
eint
erpr
eter
sofsi
gns.Asi
gnhast
hreef
act
orst
hatgui
dei
nter
pret
ati
on:

Si
gn (
sign I
NTERPRETATI
ON
di
mensi
ons)
The desi
gnat
ive I
tdi
rectt
oapar
ti
cul
arobj
ect
aspect
The appr
aisi
ve I
thi
ghl
i
ght
sobj
ectqual
i
tiesf
oranev
aluat
ion
aspect
The pr
escr
ipt
ive I
tleadsust
orespondi
naspeci
fi
cway
aspect

b)SI
GNS–VALUEDI
MENSI
ONS

- Thr
eesi
gnswi
thspeci
fi
cval
ues

Si
gn(v
aluesdi
mensi
ons) I
nter
pret
ati
on
 SEMI
OTI
CSBYPRLOUI
SOBOU

Det
achment Toshowt
hataut
onomyi
smai
ntai
ned,
independence
Domi
nance Tot
akecont
rol
ordomi
nat
eanot
herper
sonsorsy
stem
Dependence Theper
sonorsy
stem i
scont
rolbyanot
herper
sonor
sy
stem

c)SI
GNS-ACTI
ONSTAGES

- Thi
sisper
cei
vedt
hrought
hreeway
sorst
ages

Si
gn(act
ionst
ages) I
nter
pret
ati
on
Theper
cept
ionst
age Theper
soni
sawar
eoft
hesi
gn
Themani
pul
ati
onst
age Hei
nter
pret
sthesi
gn
Theconsummat
ionst
age Her
espondst
oit

 BARTHES(-
1980)
Bat
hesi
soneofSaussur
e’smostpower
fuli
nter
pret
ersi
nthemat
terof
semi
oti
cshasbeenRol
andBar
thes.I
nhi
sessay‘
Myt
hToday
’heput
sthecaset
hat
anysemi
oti
canal
ysi
smustpost
ulat
ear
elat
ionshi
pbet
weent
het
wot
ermssi
gni
fi
er
andsi
gni
fi
edwhi
chi
snotoneof“
equal
i
ty”butof“
equi
val
ence”
.Thel
i
ter
aryr
elat
ion
bet
weensi
gni
fi
erandsi
gni
fi
edar
enot
,ofcour
se,gi
venonceandf
oral
lasan
i
nvar
iabl
eabsol
ute.
(Eagl
eton,1976)
.On t
hecont
rar
y,t
heyshi
ftand mut
atei
n
r
esponset
othedet
ermi
nat
ionofaest
het
ici
deol
ogy
,asRol
andbar
thesdemonst
rat
es
f
orapar
ti
cul
arspanofFr
enchl
i
ter
aryhi
stor
yinLeDegr
ézer
odel
’
écr
it
ure.
I
tist
hesecond-
ordersi
gni
fi
cat
ionsofanypar
ti
cul
arel
ement
.Si
gni
fi
cat
ion:t
heset
ofcondi
ti
onsunderwhi
cht
hesi
gndenot
essomet
hing.At
exti
s“ar
eali
nfor
mat
ional
pol
yphony
”and“
adensi
tyofsi
gns”(
Bar
thes,
1972:
261-
7).

Bar
thesappl
i
esSemi
oti
cst
o ev
ery
thi
ng f
rom f
ashi
on t
o adv
ert
isi
ng.He posi
ts
humanbei
ngsassi
gn-
maki
ngandsi
gn-
int
erpr
eti
ngani
mal
s.I
tiswi
thsi
gnst
hatt
his
di
scussi
onofsemi
oti
csandcul
tur
alcr
it
ici
sm begi
ns.

Forhi
m eachsi
gni
nthesy
stem hasmeani
ngonl
ybyv
irt
ueofi
tsdi
ff
erencef
rom
ot
her
s.Thusev
ery
thi
ngendsupbei
ngexpl
ainedi
nwor
ds,t
hus,ul
ti
mat
ely
,itwoul
d
bet
het
heor
eti
cal
syst
em ofl
i
ngui
sti
cs,
whi
chexpl
ainst
hepr
oduct
ionoft
hemeani
ng
accompl
i
shedbyt
heact
ionofv
ari
oussi
gns,
what
evert
hei
rnat
ure:i
mages,
symbol
s,
 SEMI
OTI
CSBYPRLOUI
SOBOU

obj
ect
s,behav
ior
s.
I
nrespectofnon-
li
ngui
sti
csy
stems,say
sBar
thes,t
his‘
associ
ati
vet
otal
’of
si
gni
fi
erandsi
gni
fi
edconst
it
utessi
mpl
ythesi
gn.Bar
thesmov
esont
oconsi
dert
he
way
sinwhi
ch“
myt
h”si
gni
fi
esi
nsoci
ety(
andby‘
myt
h’hemeans,aswehav
eseen
abov cl
e,not‘assi
cal
’my
thol
ogysomuchast
hecompl
exsy
stem ofi
magesand
bel
i
efswhi
chasoci
etyconst
ruct
sinor
dert
osust
ainandaut
hent
icat
eit
ssenseofi
ts
ownbei
ng:i
.
e.t
hev
eryf
abr
icofi
tssy
stem of‘
meani
ng’
.Int
hecaseofmy
th,
Bar
thes
ar
gues,
wef
indagai
nthet
ri
par
ti
tesi
gni
fyi
ngoper
ati
ondescr
ibedabov
e:t
hesi
gni
fi
er,
t
hesi
gni
fi
ed,
andt
hei
rpr
oduct
,thesi
gn.Howev
er,
myt
hispecul
i
ari
nthati
tinv
ari
abl
y
f
unct
ionsasasecond-
ordersemi
oti
csy
stem const
ruct
edont
hebasi
sofasemi
oti
c
chai
nwhi
chexi
stsbef
orei
t.Apar
tfr
om si
gns,Bar
thesappeal
stheat
tent
ionon
codes.
Codes
Wecanunder
standby“
code”
,ther
egi
str
y,or
der
edbysomeexpl
i
citcr
it
eri
ondeci
ded
byi
tsaut
hororcompi
l
er,ofagi
vensetofsi
gns,descr
ibedaccor
dingt
othei
r
possi
bil
i
tiesofsy
ntact
ici
nter
rel
ati
onandt
othei
rpossi
blesemant
iccont
ent
srel
ati
ng
t
oagi
vensoci
alphenomenon.
Bar
thes’
sanal
ysi
soft
henat
ureoft
hecodesi
nvol
vedi
nreadi
ngandwr
it
ing,andof
t
hei
rpot
ent
ial
forecst
asy
.Fort
his,
wemustt
ur oS/
nt Z(1970)t
oanal
yset
he“
text
ual
si
gni
fi
ers”i
nter
msoff
ivecodes(
pp25-
27)
,asf
oll
ows:
i
. Theher
meneut
iccode
Thi
sconsi
stsof“
allt
heuni
tswhosef
unct
ioni
tist
oar
ti
cul
atei
nvar
iousway
sa
quest
ion,i
tsr
esponse,andt
hev
ari
etyofchanceev
ent
swhi
chcanei
therf
ormul
ate
t
hequest
ionordel
ayi
tsanswer
;orev
en,const
it
uteaneni
gmaandl
eadt
oit
s
sol
uti
on”
i
i. Thecodeofsemesorsi
gni
fi
ers
Thi
sisacodeofconnot
ati
onswhi
chut
il
izeshi
ntsor‘
fl
icker
sofmeani
ng’gener
ated
bycer
tai
nsi
gni
fi
ers
i
ii
. Thesy
mbol
iccode
Thi
sist
hecodeofr
ecogni
zabl
e‘gr
oupi
ngs’orconf
igur
ati
ons,r
egul
arl
yrepeat
edi
n
v
ari
ousmodesandbyv
ari
ousmeansi
nthet
ext
,whi
chul
ti
mat
elygener
atest
he
domi
nantf
igur
eint
hecar
pet
.
i
v. Thepr
oai
ret
iccode
Thi
sist
hecodeof“
act
ions”
.Der
ivedf
r heconceptofpr
om t oai
resi
s,‘
theabi
l
ity
 SEMI
OTI
CSBYPRLOUI
SOBOU

r
ati
onal
l
yto det
ermi
ne t
he r
esul
tofan act
ion’
,thi
s code i
s al
so embodi
ed i
n
sequencessuchasl
exi
a.
v
. The“
cul
tur
al”code(
or“
ref
erence”code)
Thi
scodemani
fest
sit
sel
fasa‘
gnomi
c’
,col
l
ect
ive,anony
mousandaut
hor
it
ati
ve
v
oicewhi
chspeaksf
orandaboutwhati
tai
mst
oest
abl
i
shas‘
accept
ed’knowl
edge
orwi
sdom.

 Umber
toEco(-
2018)
ECO f
ormul
ated an i
nit
ialcl
assi
fi
cat
ion wher
ein he di
sti
ngui
shesar
ti
fi
ci
al
si
gnsandnat
ural
signs.
Ar
ti
fi
cialsi
gnsar
edi
vi
dedi
ntot
wocl
asses:(
1)si
gnsi
ntent
ional
l
ypr
oducedi
n
or
dert
osi
gni
fy;
(2)si
gnsi
ntent
ional
l
ypr
oducedasf
unct
ions.
Nat
uralsi
gnsar
edi
vi
dedi
ntot
wocl
asses:(
1)si
gnsi
dent
if
iedwi
thnat
ural
t
hingsorev
ent
s;(
2)si
gnsuni
ntent
ional
l
ypr
oducedbyahumanagent
.
“
Allt
hati
sonst
agei
ssi
gn”
:nat
uralandar
ti
fi
cialsi
gns.Phenomenaassumea
si
gni
fyi
ngf
unct
iononst
aget
otheext
entt
hatt
hei
rrel
ati
ont
owhatt
heysi
gni
fyi
s
per
cei
vedasbei
ngdel
i
ber
atel
yint
ended.I
nreall
i
fet
heut
il
it
ari
anf
unct
ionofan
obj
ecti
s usual
l
ymor
eimpor
tantt
han i
ts si
gni
fi
cat
ion.On a t
heat
ri
calsett
he
si
gni
fi
cat
ioni
sal
li
mpor
tant
.

 Char
lesSander
sPei
rce
Onedi
ff
erencebet
weensemi
oti
csandsemi
ologyi
sthatsemi
oti
csdr
awsi
tsbasi
c
i
deasf
rom at
ri
chot
omyel
abor
atedbyC.S Pei
rce(
1958)
.Accor
dingt
oPei
rce,
ther
e
ar
ethr
eeki
nds ofsi
gns-
icons,i
ndexes,andsy
mbol
s. gnorr
A si epr
esent
ameni
s
‘
somet
hingwhi
chst
andst
osomebodyf
orsomet
hingi
nsomer
espectorcapaci
ty’
.It
i
s‘any
thi
ngwhi
chdet
ermi
nessomet
hingel
se(
isi
t nt
erpr
etant
)tor
efert
oanobj
ectt
o
whi
chi
tsel
fref
ers(
isobj
t ect
)’
.Asi husst
gnt andsf
orsomet
hing(
isobj
t ect
);i
tst
ands
f
orsomet
hingt
osomebody(
isi
t nt
erpr
etant
);andf
inal
l
yitst
andsf
orsomet
hingt
o
somebodyi
nsomer
espect(
thi
srespecti
scal
l
edi
tsgr
ound)
.
Theset
erms,r
epr
esent
amen,obj
ect
,int
erpr
etantandgr
oundcant
husbeseent
o
r
efert
othemeansbywhi
ch t
hesi
gn si
gni
fi
es;t
her
elat
ionshi
p bet
ween t
hem
det
ermi
nest
hepr
eci
senat
ureoft ocessofsemi
hepr osi
s.
TheAmer
icanf
ounderofsemi
oti
cs,Pei
rcedi
sti
ngui
shedbet
weent
hreebasi
cki
nds
 SEMI
OTI
CSBYPRLOUI
SOBOU

ofsi
gn.Ther
ewast
hei
coni
c,wher
ethesi
gnsomehowr
esembl
edwhati
tst
oodf
or
(
aphot
ogr
aphofaper
son,
forexampl
e);
thei
ndexi
cal(
smoke);
thesy
mbol
ic,
wher
e
aswi
thSaussur
ethesi
gni
sonl
yar
bit
rar
il
yorconv
ent
ional
l
yli
nkedwi
thi
tsr
efer
ent
.
Semi
oti
cs t
akes up t
his and many ot
hercl
assi
fi
cat
ions:i
tdi
sti
ngui
shes
bet
ween«denot
ati
on»(
whatt
hesi
gnst
andsf
or)and«connot
ati
on»(
othersi
gns
associ
atedwi
thi
t)
;bet
weencodes(
thesi
gn-
gov
ernedst
ruct
ureswhi
chpr
oduce
meani
ngs)andt
hemessagest
ransmi
tt
edbyt
hem;bet
weent
he“
par
adi
gmat
ic“(a
whol
ecl
assofsi
gnswhi
chmayst
andi
nforoneanot
her
)inaachai
n“)
.Itspeaksof
“
met
alanguages”
,wher
eonesi
gn-
syst
em denot
esanot
hersi
gn-
syst
em (
ther
elat
ion
bet
weenl
i
ter
arycr
it
ici
sm andl
i
ter
atur
e,f
ori
nst
ance)
,“pol
ysemi
c”si
gnswhi
chhav
e
mor
ethanonemeani
ng,
andagr
eatmanyot
hert
echni
cal
concept
s.(
Eagl
eton,
p.88)
.

Chapt
er3:
Semi
oti
ciansandconst
ruct
ednessofmeani
ng
Ther
ear
ebasi
cpr
inci
plesonwhi
cht
hesemi
oti
canal
ysi
soft
ext
sisbased:
- Meani
ngi
snoti
nher
enti
nobj
ect
s,obj
ect
sdonotsi
gni
fybyt
hemsel
ves.
Meani
ng,r
ather
,isconst
ruct
ed bywhati
sknown asacompet
ent
obser
ver
,i.
e.byasubj
ectcapabl
eof'
gi
vi
ngf
orm'
toobj
ect
s.
- Semi
oti
csv
iewst
het
ext
,anyt
ext
,asanaut
onomousuni
t,t
hati
s,one
t
hati
sint
ernal
l
ycoher
ent
.Rat
hert
hanst
art
ingwi
thi
deas/meani
ngs
ext
ernalt
othet
extandshowi
nghow t
heyar
eref
lect
edwi
thi
nit
,an
appr
oacht
hati
sst
il
lwi
del
yadopt
edi
ntheacademi
cwor
ld.
- Semi
oti
canal
ysi
sbegi
nswi
th a st
udyoft
he act
uall
anguage and
st
ruct
uresoft
het
ext
,showi
nghow meani
ngsar
econst
ruct
edand,of
cour
se,att
hesamet
imewhatt
hesemeani
ngsar
e.Semi
oti
canal
ysi
s
becomes,t
hen,adi
scov
erymet
hodandi
scl
ear
lyani
nval
uabl
etoolf
or
al
lthoseengagedi
nor
igi
nal
resear
ch.
Semi
oti
csposi
tst
hatst
oryst
ruct
ureornar
rat
ivi
tyunder
li
esal
ldi
scour
se,notj
ust
whati
scommonl
yknownasast
ory
.Fori
nst
ance,i
tunder
li
espol
i
tical
,soci
ologi
cal
andl
egaldi
scour
se.Onecanev
engoasf
arast
osayt
hatnar
rat
ivi
tyunder
li
esour
v
eryconceptoft
rut
h:r
ecentst
udi
esi
nthef
iel
dofl
egaldi
scour
se,
forexampl
e,hav
e
shownt
hatt
hosewi
tnessesi
nal
awcour
twhoseaccountconf
ormsmostcl
osel
yto
ar
chet
ypal
stor
ypat
ter
nsar
ethosewhosev
ersi
oni
smostl
i
kel
ytobebel
i
eved.
At
extmust
,ther
efor
e,best
udi
edatt
hesedi
ff
erentl
evel
sofdept
handnotj
ustatt
he
 SEMI
OTI
CSBYPRLOUI
SOBOU

sur
face l
evelasi
sthe case wi
tht
radi
ti
onall
i
ngui
sti
cs.Keepi
ng i
n mi
nd t
hese
pr
inci
ples,semi
oti
c anal
ysi
sis ai
ded f
urherby schemas or model
t s whose
appl
i
cat
ioncont
ri
but
est
odecodi
ngt
hemeani
ngoft
ext
s.

- BI
BLI
OGRAPHY

BARTHES,
Rol
and,
S/Z,
Par
is,
Seui
l
,1970.
BARTHES,
Rol My
and, t
hol
ogi
e,Par
is,
Seui
l
,1957.
Foci
l
lonHenr
i,Vi
edesf
ormes,
Par
is,
Quadr
ige/
Puf
,(1943)
,2007.

ECO,Umber
t ATheor
o, yofSemi
oti
cs,Bl
oomi
ngt
on:I
ndi
anaUni
ver
sit
yPr
ess,
[
1976]1979.
ECO,
Umber
t Lesi
o, gne,
Brussel
s:Labor
,[1971]
.1988
EAGLETON,
Ter
ryLi
, t
erar
yTheor
y-AnI
ntr
oduct
ion,
London,
Blackwel
l
Publ
i
sher
sLi
d,(
1983)
1996