Semiotics

Semiotics is the study of signs. It is both the theory and

analysis of signs and signifying practices. This comes under
the two theorists Ferdinand de Sassure {1857-1913} and
Charles Sanders Peirce {1839-1914}.

Ferdinand de Sassure was a French Linguist who was the first to produce
the semiotic theory during work in the early 1900s. Name Ferdinand
Sassure stated that a sign is made up of two parts, the de Sassure
Signifier and the Signified. Born-Death 1857-1913
Discovered Signifier
Signifier- Any motion, gesture, image, sound, Signified
pattern, or event that conveys meaning and
communicates.

Signified- The concept that a signifier refers to, the

meaning it conveys.

e.g Love
Signifier- The word love, the feeling or a gesture felt given
towards someone
Signified- A red heart, roses

Charles Sanders Peirce was an American philosopher that

also formed another semiotic theory around the early
1900s. Pierce stated semiotics to be the relationship Name Charles
between a Symbol, Icon and an Index. Sanders
Peirce
Icons- Signs where the signifier resembles the Born-Death 1839-1914
signified. Discovered Symbol
Icon
Symbols- Signs where the relation between signifier Index
and signified is purely conventional and culturally
specific.

Indexes- Signs where the signifier is caused by the signified.

e.g Icons- Pedestrian Traffic Signal
Index- Wait or cross the road
Symbols- I have to wait or cross according to the sign