Definitions

  1. Barthes – Barthes created the theory of semiotics, showing that the portrayals of knowledge is influenced by the bourgeoise
  2. Pierce – created the sign theory
  3. Saussure – a swiss linguist, he introduced structuralism in linguistics
  4. Semiotics – the study of signs and symbols, their interpretation and meaning.
  5. Sign – a set of items in a langauge that mean different things
  6. Signifier – a symbol, sound or word that represents an underlying concept of meaning eg table, words on a page. (saussure)
  7. Signified – the meaning or idea expressed by a sign. (saussure)
  8. Icon – a sign which has a characteristic in common with the thing it symbolises, for example, snarl pronounced in a snarling way.
  9. Index – a sign pointing to a context in which is occurs
  10. Symbol – a sign which has a random or arbitrary link based on shared knowledge or agreement
  11. Code -a system of words, letters or numbers used to encode a secret message
  12. Dominant Signifier – a dominating signifier that is widely known and accepted
  13. Anchorage – a dominant sign that fixes down a specific meaning
  14. Ideology – codes that reinforce or are congruent with structures of power. It works mostly by creating forms of “common sense” of the taken for granted in everyday life.
  15. Paradigm – a set of substitutional relationships a linguistic unit has with other units in a specific context
  16. Syntagm – a linguistic unit consisting of linguistic forms (words, phrases) that are in a sequence
  17. Signification – the representation or conveying of meaning
  18. Denotation – the most basic meaning of a sign. E.g, seeing a rose and recognising it as a flower.
  19. Connotation – a certain meaning attached to a word, phrase or item
  20. Myth – a combination of paradigms and syntagms that make up an oft told story with elaborate cultural associations.
  21. Radical text – challenges everyday accepted myths
  22. Reactionary text – enforces everyday accepted myths

Key Terms


  1. Barthes One of the leading theorist of the study of semiotics.
    Piercewas an Americian phoiloshoper and scientist know as the father of the iconic indexical and symbolic sign theory
    Saussure – He was a Swiss linguist, he laid a ideas which became the important in the development in linguistics.
    Semiotics Study of signs 
    Sign – is anything to indicate meaning or information.
    Signifier – the image/sound of a sign
    Signifiedthe idea or concept of the signifier
    An Iconic sign a sign which has a direct connection to the object
    An Indexical sign – a sign with an indirect connection to the object
    An Symbolic sign – a sign with a random link to the objection via shared knowledge.
    Code – the communication of rules or orders
    Dominant Signifier – the meaning of a sign which is mainly accepted.
    Anchorage – the fixing of a meaning to a sign
    Paradigm – a collection of signs
    Syntagm – a sign which is in a sequence which then gives it a different meaning
    Signification – process of meaning being creative
    Denotation – the literal meaning of a word
    Connotation – the meaning of a word
    Myth – something that is made up and accepted by society.
    Dominant Ideology- the dominant ideas of society.
    A radical text- challenges dominant ideology.
    A reactionary text- supports dominant ideology

Short Word definitions

  1. Roland Barthes was a French philosopher and a semiotician. He explored a diverse range of fields including anthropology, semiotics and social theory.
  2. C S Pierce was a linguistic, he came up with Iconic signs, Indexical signs and symbolic signs.
  3. Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss Linguistic and semiotician, his ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in both semiology and linguistics
  4. Semiotics – is the study of signs.
  5. Sign – A gesture or action used to convey meaning.
  6. Signifier – A signs physical form, such as a sound or a printed word.
  7. Signified – The meaning or idea expressed by a sign, as distinct from the physical form in which its expressed.
  8. Iconic Sign – A sign that looks like its object.
  9. Indexical Sign – A sign that has a link to its object.
  10. Symbolic Sign – A sign that has an arbitrary or random link to its object.
  11. Code – A system of words, letters, figures or symbols used to represent others.
  12. Dominant Signifier – A mainly accepted form of a sign. 
  13. Anchorage – Is when a piece of media uses another piece of media to reduce the amount of connotations in the first.
  14. Paradigm – A collection of signs
  15. Syntagm –
  16. Signification –
  17. Denotation –
  18. Connotation –
  19. Myth – Something that is made up which is acknowledged and used by society, sometimes in stories.
  20. Dominant Ideology – The main / dominant idea
  21. A Radical Text – A text that challenges a dominant ideology.
  22. A Reactionary text – A text that supports a dominant ideology.

Short Word Definitions

  1. Roland Barthes – One of the leading theorists of semiotics, the study of signs. He is often considered a structuralist following the structure of Saussure.
  2. C. S. Pierce – Father of the iconic indexical and symbolic sign theory
  3. Ferdinand De Saussure – The study of signs using behavior, the study of “the life of signs within society”.
  4. Semiotics – The study of signs and symbols and their use.
  5. Sign – an object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence of something else.
  6. Signifier – a signs physical form, as distinct from its meaning.
  7. Signified – the meaning or idea expressed by a sign.
  8. an iconic sign – the most basic or literal sign is the word “rose” signifies a particular kind of flower.
  9. an indexical sign – any material or thing that signifies for example “words on a page”, “a facial expression” or an image
  10. a symbolic sign – a symbolic sign allows people to make connections with other things (i.e Eiffel Tower symbolizes France or Paris)
  11. Code – a system of words, letters or figures used to represent others. Especially for the purposes of security (i.e passwords or pass codes).
  12. Dominant Signifier – the most accepted meaning of a sign
  13. Anchorage – Directs the viewer to a chosen meaning
  14. Ideology – are a set of ideas and beliefs that people have regarding different kinds of technologies.
  15. Paradigm – A distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods and postulates.
  16. Syntagm – Signs occur in sequence or parallel and operate together to create a meaning
  17. Signifcation – Signification – a message being conveyed by a sign, so a drawing, an image or text
  18. Denotation – What the audience can visually see on the page (the literal meaning of a word)
  19. Connotation – Usually the second level of analysis, being what the denotation represents.
  20. Myth – something people believe to be false or an idea
  21. A radical text – a radical text challenges a dominant ideology
  22. A reactionary text – a text that supports a dominant ideology

MEDIA LANGUAGE

Media Definitions

Barthes – French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. Barthes’ ideas explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of many schools of theory, including structuralism, semiotics, social theory, design theory, anthropology, and post-structuralism.

Pierce – American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist who is sometimes known as “the father of pragmatism”. He was educated as a chemist and employed as a scientist for thirty years

Saussure – Swiss linguist and semiotician. His ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in both linguistics and semiology in the 20th century. He is widely considered one of the founders of 20th-century linguistics and one of two major founders of semiotics/semiology

Semiotics – the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation.

Sign – a gesture or action used to convey information or an instruction.

Signifier – a sign’s physical form (such as a sound, printed word, or image) as distinct from its meaning. (Saussure)

Signified – the meaning or idea expressed by a sign, as distinct from the physical form in which it is expressed. (Saussure)

Icon – a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol or as worthy of veneration.

Index – (in a book or set of books) an alphabetical list of names, subjects, etc. with reference to the pages on which they are mentioned.

Symbol – a thing that represents or stands for something else, especially a material object representing something abstract.

Code – a system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others, especially for the purposes of secrecy.

Dominant Signifier – The main sign

Anchorage – Meaning of a sign

Ideology – a system of ideas and ideals, especially one which forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy.

Paradigm – a group/collection of similar things

Syntagm – a linguistic unit consisting of a set of linguistic forms (phonemes, words, or phrases) that are in a sequential relationship to one another.

Signifcation – the representation or conveying of meaning.

Denotation – the literal or primary meaning of a word, in contrast to the feelings or ideas that the word suggests. (Barthes)

Connotation – an idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning. (Barthes)

Myth – a belief that lots of people believe in however it isn’t true.

Dominant Ideology – the attitudes, beliefs, values, and morals shared by the majority of the people in a given society

A Radical Text – Text that challenges the dominant ideology

A Reactionary Text – Text that supports the dominant ideology

Definitions List

  1. Barthes – Leading theorist of the study of semiotics (Roland Barthes) 
  1. Pierce – father of the iconic indexical and symbolic sign theory 
  1. Saussure – He was a Swiss linguist and semiotician. His ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in both linguistics and semiology  
  1. Semiotics – Study of signs 
  1. Sign – A gesture/action used to convey meaning, information or instruction 
  1. Signifier – A signs physical word as distinct from its meaning  
  1. Signified – the meaning or idea expressed by a sign, as distinct from the physical form in which it is expressed. 
  1. Icon – a sign which has a characteristic in common with the thing it signifies, for example the word snarl pronounced in a snarling way 
  1. Index – a sign or measure of something. 
  1. Symbol – a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process 
  1. Code – a system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others 
  1. Dominant Signifier – a mainly accepted form of a sign 
  1. Anchorage – when a piece of media uses another piece of media to reduce the amount of connotations in the first 
  1. Ideology – A set of beliefs and values that form a persons or entities thoughts  
  1. Paradigm – A typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model.  
  1. Syntagm – A syntagmatic relationship is one where signs occur in sequence or parallel and operate together to create meaning. 
  1. Signification – The representation or conveying of meaning/ importance.  
  1. Denotation – What is being shown by a symbol/object. What we can clearly see 
  1. Connotation – What a symbol/object implies about its meaning/context 
  2. Myth – A widely held but false belief or idea/ misinterpretation of the truth. 
  3. Radical Text – when a text opposes the dominant ideology of an idea
  4. Reactionary Text – A text conforming/agreeing with an ideology

Definitions

  1. Barthes – The leading theorist of semiotics who analysed popular media and culture – Known as “The Founding Father of Media Studies”
  2. Pierce – Theorist who came up with the idea of Signs being Iconic, Indexical, or Arbitrary.
  3. Saussure – A linguist who proposed the way to understand words and signs by detaching their signifier from their signified meaning
  4. Semiotics – The study of signs and symbols, their use, how they are represented, and what they represent.
  5. Sign – A visual symbol that represents or communicates something.
  6. Signifier – A sign’s physical form as distinct from it’s meaning.
  7. Signified – The meaning or idea expressed by a sign.
  8. Icon – A sign that is designed to look like the object it is representing.
  9. Index – A sign that is linked to the object it is representing.
  10. Symbol – A sign that is arbitrary and has no relation to the object it is representing.
  11. Code –
  12. Dominant Signifier – The mainly accepted meaning of a sign.
  13. Anchorage –
  14. Ideology – A set of political ideas and ideals, used in running a government.
  15. Paradigm- a collection of similar signs that links back to one meaning
  16. Syntagm – When signs occur in parallel or sequence and operate together to create a meaning
  17. SignifIcation –
  18. Denotation – What is being shown by a sign.
  19. Connotation – What a sign means or is implied to mean.
  20. Myth – A meaning made by certain people around a sign that fits a certain agenda.
  21. Radical text – A text that goes against the dominant ideology.
  22. A Reactionary text – A text that conforms to the dominant ideology.

Definitions

  • Barthes – French literary theorist / philosopher. Theoised the codes theory (Hermeneutic code), the way a story is told without revealing all the facts
  • Pierce – American philosopher, investigated how language is a way of connecting meaning to different signs, ICONIC, INDEXICAL, SYMBOLIC
  • Saussure – Swiss linguist / semiotican, theorised that the principle of language is a system of signs, each sign is composed of signifier and signified
  • Semiotics – The study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation
  • Sign – An object, quality, or event whose presence or occurrence indicates the probable presence or occurrence of something else.
  • Signifier – An object/thing (comes from Saussure)
  • Signified – The meaning of a signifier (comes from Saussure)
  • Icon – A sign that has a direct link to its object
  • Index – A sign that has an indirect link to its object
  • Symbol – Has a random or arbitrary link based on a shared knowledge
  • Code – A system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others
  • Dominant Signifier – Most important sign, main image
  • Anchorage – A sign that fixes the meaning
  • Ideology – Set of ideas, beliefs and values
  • Paradigm – A specific group of words/things, which can be used interchangeably all with the same meaning
  • Syntagm – A series of signs that all work together eg a sentence
  • Signifcation – Giving an object its purpose/meaning (process of making meaning)
  • Denotation – The object (Barthes)
  • Connotation – The meaning (Barthes)
  • Myth – Ideas created by connotations
  • Radical text – Challenges the dominant ideology
  • Reaction text – Supports the dominant ideology

Definitions

  1. Barthes- A French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician- he studied signs
  2. Pierce- An American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist- He created the idea of signs being iconic, indexical and symbolic.
  3. Saussure- A Swiss linguist and semiotician
  4. Semiotics- The study of signs and symbols
  5. Sign- A sign is anything that can convey a meaning
  6. Signifier- Comes from Saussure and
  7. Signified- An idea that is expressed by a sign
  8. Icon- A sign that is designed to look like an object that it represents
  9. Index- A sign or measure of something
  10. Symbol- A sign that represents or is associated with something
  11. Code- A system of words or figures or symbols that is used to represent something
  12. Dominant Signifier- The most important sign
  13. Anchorage- A sign that fixes the meaning
  14. Ideology- A set of ideas / beliefs
  15. Paradigm- A pattern / group of something
  16. Syntagm- A series of signs that all work together
  17. Signifcation- The process of making media
  18. Denotation- Barthes- The object
  19. Connotation- Barthes- An idea or feeling or meaning of the object
  20. Myth- The ideas that are created by connotations
  21. A radical text- Challenges an ideology
  22. A reactionary text- Agrees with ideology/ Supports dominant ideology

MEDIA LA

Definitions

  1. Barthes: Ronald Barthes was a French literary theorist, Philosopher, Critic and a Semiotician. He studied many different fields.
  2. Pierce: Charles Sanders Pierce was an American philosopher, logician, mathematician and a scientist. He was known as the ‘father of pragmatism’. He studied as a chemist and worked as a scientist for 30 years.
  3. Saussure: Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist and semiotician and his ideas put down the building blocks for development in linguistics and semiology in the 20th century. He is considered one of the founders of 20-century linguistics as well as a major founder of semiotics and semiology.
  4. Semiotics: The study of signs and symbols, as well as their use of interpretation.
  5. Sign: A sign can be a signal or action that is used to convey information or an action.
  6. Signifier: A signifier is a signs physical state, such as a sound or a printed image, different from its meaning.
  7. Signified: The meaning or idea shown by a sign.
  8. Iconic sign: A direct representative symbol of an object.
  9. Indexical sign: It’s a sign that strongly links to an object.
  10. Symbol: Something thing that represents something else.
  11. code: A system of words, letters or symbols to be represented as others.
  12. Dominant Signifier: The most important sign.
  13. Anchorage: A sign that fixes the meaning.
  14. Ideaology: Set of ideas and beliefs.
  15. Paradigm: A group of things.
  16. Syntagm: A series of connected signs that have a meaning together.
  17. Signifcation: Process of making meaning.
  18. Denotation: Barthes: The meaning.
  19. Connotation: An idea or feeling a word invokes.
  20. Myth: Ideas made from connotations that create a dominant ideology.
  21. A radical text: Challenges the dominant ideology.
  22. A reactionary text: For the dominant ideology.