Semiotics <br>

Semiotics
Lecture 2

What is a referent? Recall that a sign is anything that stands for, or refers, to something else . The something else to which a sign refers is called its referent . A referent can be either concrete or abstract . A concrete referent is one that you can point to (in principle) . An abstract referent is one that you cannot point to (in principle) . A concrete referent is "worldly " (found in the world). An abstract referent is "conceptual " (formed in the mind). For example:

The word "cat " can have a concrete referent, or it can have an abstract referent.
The word "unicorn " can not have a concrete referent.

What is a text? A text is a "weaving together " or rendering of signs according to particular conventions.

What is a code? A code is a procedural system for interpreting signs.

What is a context? A context is an environment (physical, psychological, social) in which a text of signs can be interpreted with respect to some code.

What is a culture? A culture is is a collection of patterns of behavior exhibited by the inhabitants of some context, as perceived through the use of codes and the production of texts.

For example. Suppose we have the following collections of "signs " ...

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 dime dimes quarter quarters die club clubs diamond diamonds heart hearts spade spades trump yes no and

Here are some possible texts...

1 heart and 2 clubs 9 hearts
1 heart 7 hearts 2 clubs 3 no trump
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and

Possible contexts...

Specialty choclate shop which caters to all sorts of gamblers!
Bridge club.
Musicians.

Codes ...

1 heart means "I would like to buy a heart shaped box of chocolates " . 9 hearts and two diamonds means "I would like to buy 9 heart shaped boxes of chocolates and 2 diamond shaped boxes of choloates " .
1 heart means "I have more than 15 points and at least 5 hearts " . 2 clubs means "I have a fairly week and with a couple of long suits. "
"1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 " means "waltz time " . "1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and " means "straight eights " .

Cultures ...

Card culture.
Coin culture.

Standard American Culture
Precision Culture

Waltz culture. Rock culture.

What is a syntagm? A syntagm is an arrangement of signs.

What is a paradigm? A paradigm is is a category of discernable signs.