Definitions

Roland Barthes – was a French literal theorist, philosopher, critic and semiotician.

C.S Pierce – was an American philosopher, logician, mathematician and scientist who is sometimes referred to as “the father of pragmatism”.

Ferdinand de Saussure – was a Swiss linguist and semiotician. His ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in both linguistics and semiology in the 20th century.

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

Sign – an object, gesture or action that is used to convey information or an instruction.

Signifier – a signs physical form. (Saussure)

Signified – the meaning expressed by a sign.

Iconic signs – a sign that is directly connected to something.

Indexical signs – something that is indirectly connected to a sign .

symbol – a symbol has no resemblance between the signifier and the signified.

Code – a system of words, letters, figures or symbols used to represent other things.

Dominant Signifier – most accepted meaning of a sign. The main sign.

Anchorage – directs the viewer to a chosen meaning.

Ideology – set of ideas or beliefs.

Paradigm – a typical example or pattern of similar signs.

Syntagm – when signs occur in a series and operate together to create a meaning.

Signification – a representation or conveying a message.

Denotation – the literal meaning of a word. (Barthes)

Connotation – the abstract meaning of a term.

Myth – a false belief or idea.

Radical text – Something that challenges society and ideology.

Reactionary text – Something that supports ideas.

Definitions

  1. Roland Barthes – he was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician and the study of sign 
  2. C. S. Pierce – created the idea of signs being iconic, indexical and symbolic. He was an American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist who is sometimes known as “the father of pragmatism” 
  3. Ferdinand de Saussure – he was a Swiss linguist and semiotician. He theorised in language and the connections between their meanings associated with the language 
  4. Semiotics – the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation
  5. Sign – an object, gesture or action that is used to convey information or an instruction
  6. Signifier – A signs physical form (Saussure)
  7. Signified – The meaning expressed by a sign
  8. an iconic sign – A person or thing represented as a symbol for a deeper meaning
  9. an indexical sign – A sign of something
  10. a symbolic sign – Is a sign that is represents/ is associated with something
  11. Code – a system of words/ figures or symbols that is used to represent others
  12. Dominant Signifier – main accepted meaning of a sign 
  13. Anchorage – directs the viewer to a chosen meaning. 
  14. Ideology – a set of ideas or beliefs that people have regarding different kinds of technologies 
  15. Paradigm – a grouped/typical example of something similar
  16. Syntagm – when a sign appears in a sequence, that creates a different meaning
  17. Signification – A representation or conveying of a message, a sequence to create meaning
  18. Denotation – The literal meaning of words in contrast to what the word suggests (Barthes)
  19. Connotation – an idea or feeling that is abstract to the meaning of intentions
  20. Myth – A false belief or idea
  21. Radical text – A text that goes against the dominant ideology.
  22. A Reactionary text – A text that conforms to the dominant ideology.

Definitions

Roland Barthes (his ideas of dominant signs / dominant ideology)
was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician.

C. S. Pierce (and his categories of sign)
Peirce was an American philosopher, logician, mathematician, and scientist who is sometimes known as “the father of pragmatism”.

Ferdinand de Saussure (the separation of object and meaning)
was a Swiss linguist and semiotician

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

Sign: an object, gesture or action that is used to convey information or an instruction

Signifier: A signs physical form

Signified: The meaning expressed by a sign

an iconic sign: signs where the signifier resembles the signified

an indexical sign: signs where the signifier is caused by the signified

a symbolic sign: signs where the relation between signifier and signified is purely conventional and culturally specific

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

Dominant Signifier: most important sign in a product

Anchorage: signs that fix meanings

Ideology:
 is a world view, a system of values, attitudes and beliefs which an individual, group or society holds to be true or important

Paradigm:a grouped/typical example of something similar

Syntagm:
when a sign appears in a sequence, that creates a different meaning

Signifcation:
A representation or conveying of a message, a sequence to create meaning

Denotation:
The literal meaning of words in contrast to what the word suggests (Barthes)

Connotation:
an idea or feeling that is abstract to the meaning of intentions

Myth:
A false belief or idea

Dominant ideology: a dominant attitude values or beliefs in society

Radical: Challenges the dominant ideology

Reactionary: Meaning of something

Definitions

  • Barthes = He was as an influential philosopher and literary critic. He explored many theories including semiotics and the science of symbols and their impact on society.
  • Pierce = Came up with the theory of Semiotics
  • Saussure = Was a 20th century linguist and semiotician.
  • Semiotics = Is the study of the use of signs and symbols.
  • Sign = Is an object or event in relation to something
  • Signifier = A signs physical form.
  • Signified = Meaning or idea expressed by the sign
  • Icon = A person or thing represented as a symbol for a deeper meaning
  • Index = A sign of something
  • Symbol = Is a sign that is represents/ is associated with something
  • Code = a system of words/ figures or symbols that is used to represent others
  • Dominant Signifier = the main signifier.
  • Anchorage = When a piece of media uses another piece of media aiming to reduce the amount of connotations and allowing it to be interpret easily.
  • Ideology = A system of ideas and ideals.
  • Paradigm = A typical example of something
  • Syntagm = When signs work together to create a meaning.
  • Signification = A representation or conveying of a message.
  • Denotation = The literal meaning of words in contrast to what the word suggests.
  • Connotation = A idea, assocation or feeling invoked alongside a literal meaning.
  • Myth = A false belief or idea
  • Radical text = a text that challenges the dominant ideology.
  • Reactionary = supports dominate ideals

Definitions

Barthes – he is one of the leading theorists of semiotics, the study of signs

Pierce – Charles Sanders Peirce came up with the theory, which he called semiotics, meaning the philosophical study of signs

Saussure – he was a semiotician and a founder of semiotics/semiology

Semiotics – signs or symbols and their use or interpretation

Sign – An object or event in relation to something

Signifier- A signs physical form

Signified – The meaning expressed by a sign

Iconic sign – a person or thing used as a representative symbol 

an Indexical sign – a sign or measure of something.

Symbolic sign – A symbol is a mark sign or word that represents something

Code – a system of words, letters, figures, or symbols used to represent others

Dominant Signifier- most important sign in a product

Anchorage – signs that fix meanings

Ideology- a system of ideas

Paradigm- a group of signs

Syntagm- a linguistic unit consisting of a set of linguistic forms, signs that are connected to work together

Signifcation- the representation or conveying of meaning.

Denotation- the literal meaning of a word

Connotation- the abstract meaning or intension of a term

Myth- a widely believed but false belief or idea.

Radical text – A text that challenges the dominant ideology.

Reactionary – dominant common sense, supports the dominant ideology

Definitions – Key Terms

  1. Roland Barthes – Leading theorist in the study of semiotics
  2. C.S. Pierce – The father of the iconic, indexical and symbolic signs theory and was an American philosopher
  3. Ferdinand de Saussure – Swiss linguist and semiotician. His ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in both linguistics and semiology
  4. Semiotics – Study of signs
  5. Sign – An action used to represent information, meaning and/or instructions, or the smallest unit of meaning, anything that can be used to communicate
  6. Signifier – A sign’s physical form (such as a sound, printed word, or image) as distinct from its meaning (Saussure)
  7. Signified – The meaning or idea expressed by a sign, as distinct from the physical form in which it is expressed (Saussure)
  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 that are used to represent others
  12. Dominant Signifier – Most important sign
  13. Anchorage – When a piece of media uses another piece of media to reduce the amount of connotations in the first, e.g. pictures are accompanied by a caption in newspapers. Some signs are like anchors and provide anchorage
  14. Dominant Ideology – A system of ideas and ideals, especially one that forms the basis of economic or political theory and policy. Set of ideas, beliefs and values
  15. Paradigm – A distinct set of concepts or thought patterns, including theories, research methods, and standards for what constitutes legitimate contribution fields. A collection of signs
  16. Syntagm – A linguistic unit consisting of a set of linguistic forms (phonemes, words, or phrases) that are in a sequential relationship to one another. Where a number of signs need each other
  17. Signifcation – The representation or conveying of meaning
  18. Denotation – The most basic or literal meaning of a sign, e.g., the word “rose” signifies a particular kind of flower
  19. Connotation – An idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning
  20. Myth – A widely held or false belief or idea accepted by society
  21. Radical text – Challenges the dominant ideology
  22. Reactionary text – Supports the dominant ideology

definitions – semiotics

  1. Roland Barthes – he was interested in the ways in which dominant structures created dominant ideologies.
  2. C. S. Pierce – created the idea of iconic, indexical and symbolic signs.
  3. Ferdinand de Saussure – he was interested in language and the connection between a thing the meanings attached to it.
  4. Semiotics – the study of signs.
  5. Sign – something that represents or signifies something else.
  6. Signifier – a thing or object.
  7. Signified – the meaning of something.
  8. An iconic sign – something that is directly connected to an object.
  9. An indexical sign – something that is indirectly linked to an object.
  10. A symbolic sign – something that has relation link based on an agreement
  11. Code – signs or symbols that mean a specific thing.
  12. Dominant Signifier – the main accepted meaning of a sign.
  13. Anchorage – some signs hold down and fix meaning.
  14. Ideology – a set of beliefs and values that a person has.
  15. Paradigm – a typical example of something
  16. Syntagm – when a sign appears in a sequence that creates a different meaning.
  17. Signification – an exact meaning.  
  18. Denotation – the most basic meaning .
  19. Connotation – an idea or feeling that is abstract to the meaning of intentions.
  20. Myth – something that has been altered to make it seem different or better than it actually is.
  21. A radical text – a text that challenges a dominant ideology.
  22. A reactionary text – a text that supports the dominant ideology.

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