Sign

Topics: Semiotics - Linguistics

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A sign is a combination of a specific set of forms with a specific meaning.

Ferdinand de Saussure proposed in 1916 the distinction between:

• The signifier, the form being used
• The signified, the meaning being represented

For instance, the (spoken) word cat is a sign because the set of phonemes /k/, /a/ and /t/ are forms that are used to represent the concept of a cat, the animal.

There are several types of signs:

• Iconic signs
• Indexical signs
• Symbolic signs