Semiotics - Signs in Communication


The most fascinating thing about language is how intricately communication is interwoven with the use of images. But before any specific words can actually begin to make sense or hold any meaning, they have to begin with an idea. These ideas are the basis of every word in every language, and when we put a word to those ideas, they are connected and go together as image, thought, and word.

For example, if I were to say, “That tree is gigantic,” you would all imagine a huge tree reaching skyward, right? Right. Now, of course, no two of you would ever picture the same exact tree, but the word still holds the same meaning and you can picture a tree, whichever kind it may be. This is only one of many examples of a sign used in communication. In languages there are hundreds of thousands of signs, including but not limited to: pictures, words, sounds, and body language. Nearly everything and anything that can be seen, heard, or felt is a sign.

Daniel Chandler wrote in Semiotics for Beginners that semiotics can be very hard to define, but what it all boils down to is- the study of the signs that can be found in even the tiniest instances of communication. We all know that spoken and written language are our greatest links in communication, but it’s absolutely fascinating that those are, in comparison, only a small part of the things that we do to truly communicate with each other.



Works Cited
Chandler, D. (2017, April 7). Semiotics for Beginners. Retrieved March 29, 2018, from    http://visual-memory.co.uk/daniel/Documents/S4B/sem01.html

Comments

  1. Jaydee JohnstonMay 4, 2018 at 1:48 PM

    I can agree with you on how fascinating communication, especially language can be interwoven into an image or images. I really think that is interesting, but along with it something that I think is more interesting is how the language or communication connects with the culture. They basically go hand in hand due to the evolution of both language and culture throughout a peoples existence. Now this does contain that of images, art, and many other things. I may just like to see it as a broad idea, but I see that connection you talk about. There is that problem though that you talk about, where no two people will imagine the same idea, when it is just spoken or asked of them. So does having someone represent it with a picture create a better image in a persons mind? I mean there is truth to the idea "that a picture is worth a thousand words." I agree with you entirely on this post and do think the same as you do about this connection words and images share

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