Mica Janeta Valentina

Anul III, Litere

Specializare: Romana-Engleza

The semiotic triangle

The triangle of reference (known as triangle of meaning or the semiotic triangle) is a

model of how linguistic models are related to the objects they represent. It also describes a
simplified form of relationship between the speaker as subject, a concept as object or referent,
and its designation( sign, signans ) .

,,The triangle of reference says that a word suggests an idea in the mind of the hearer.
The idea connects to a real-world object.’’
 There are a number of different versions of this triangle, and you will sometimes see different
labels used at each of the points of the triangle (though they might be a different points, they are
the same in relation to each other). As you seen in our pictures above, there are three main
points to the triangle. The first point is the reference, the second is the sign (or sometimes the
expression), and the third is the concept. Some versions also put in the centre of the triangle the
actor or agent who makes these connections through experience.

 A symbol is an item used to represent other thing, ideas, or events.

 A reference is the initial thought you have associated with a word.

 A Referent is the actual meaning of the word. The symbolic interaction theory states that
society is bound together by the common use of symbols.

Ex: Peace, justice, love are words people can relate to the same meaning.

What does the triangle of meaning demonstrate?

The triangle of meaning is a model of communication that indicates the relationship

among a thought, symbol, and referent and highlights the indirect relationship between the
symbol and referent( Ogden and Richards, 1932).

What does the semiotic triangle illustrate for us?

Well, it’s an easy answer. For example, when you are thinking about the word ,,orange’’
you have two posibilities: orange, the fruit, or orange, the colour.

So, the Semiotic Triangle shows the direct relationship between words and thoughts , thoughts
and thing.
 The last useful concept from basic semiotics that is worth mentioning is the idea of
syntactic indeterminacy.

Syntactics is the formal relationship between signs and sign systems. These sign systems are
constantly changing and evolving, with the arbitrariness of the relationship between signifier and
signified creating a kind of ‘wriggle room’ for meaning to change and evolve within context.

This flexibility in meaning creates space where a sign that means one thing to me might mean
something slightly or significantly different to you.

We each develop different interpretations of advertisements, or any set of signs, based on

our own experience, interpretation and frame of reference. One way to think about the interplay
of these factors when looking at signs is to use a semiotic triangle (Ogden and Richards, 1923).
Bibliografie:

 https://media.neliti.com/media/publications/322364-translation-based-on-ogden-and-
richards-ba0b9194.pdf

 https://core.ac.uk/download/147829438.pdf

 Messaris P. Visual Literacy: Image, mind, and reality, WestviewPress, 1994.