Semiotic
So, what is Semiotic? Basically semiotics is the study of signs. A sign is something that stands for something other than itself.
One of the broadest definitions is the Umberto Eco, who states that ‘Semiotic is concerned with everything that can be taken as a sign’ Semiotics involves the study not only of what we refer to ‘signs’ in everyday speech, but of anything which ‘stands for’ something else.
Semiotic can be divided into 3 branches which are
- Semantics : Relation between signs and the things to which they refer; their denotata, or meaning
- Syntatics : Relations among signs in formal structures
- Pragmatics: Relation between signs and the effects they have on the people who use them
Umberto Eco also proposes that every cultural phenomenon can be studied as communication. However, some semioticians focus on the logical dimensions of the science. They examine areas belonging also to the natural sciences. Syntactics is the branch of semiotics that deals with the formal properties of signs and symbols. More precisely, syntactics deals with the "rules that govern how words are combined to form phrases and sentences." Charles Morris adds that semantics deals with the relation of signs to their designate and the objects which they may or do denote; and, pragmatics deals with the biotic aspects of semiosis, that is, with all the psychological, biological, and sociological phenomena which occur in the functioning of signs.
Index in terms of Semiotic
Index in terms of semiotic is a mode in which the signifier is not arbitrary but is directly connected in some way (physically or causally) to the signified - this link can be observed or inferred: e.g. 'natural signs, medical symptoms, measuring instruments, 'signals', pointers, recordings, personal 'trademarks' and indexical words.
An Index signs is a sign where there is a direct link between the sign and the object. The majority of traffic signs are Index signs as they represent information which relates to a location (eg, a ‘slippery road surface’ sign placed on a road which is prone to flooding)
Symbol in semiotic
Symbol is a mode in which the signifier does not resemble the signified but which is fundamentally arbitrary or purely conventional - so that the relationship must be learnt: e.g. language in general (plus specific languages, alphabetical letters, punctuation marks, words, phrases and sentences), numbers, morse code, traffic lights, national flags;
Example of symbol in semiotic
Icon in semiotic
a mode in which the signifier is perceived as resembling or imitating the signified (recognizably looking, sounding, feeling, tasting or smelling like it) - being similar in possessing some of its qualities: e.g. a portrait, a cartoon, a scale-model, onomatopoeia, metaphors, 'realistic' sounds in 'programme music', sound effects in radio drama, a dubbed film soundtrack, imitative gestures;
An Icon sign is a sign that resembles something, such as photographs of people. An icon can also be illustrative or diagrammatic, for example a ‘no-smoking’ sign.
