What is a sign? As a rule, when pronouncing this word, traffic signs, zodiac signs and signs from above come to mind. But this concept covers a much larger number of areas, which are, for example, mathematics, linguistics, art, design and many others. Details that this is a sign will be given in today's review.
Dictionary Definitions
The dictionaries say the following about the numerous meanings of the word “sign”:
- A gesture, object, graphic marking, recording, or some other object that is used to convey meaning. (People who by nature are deprived of the ability to voice or hear are explained by signs and at the same time understand each other perfectly).
- Linguistic is the main concept in semiotics (a science that studies the properties of signs and sign systems). Designates an observed object and refers to something else that is not available to direct observation. ( Under the term “semiotics”, Yuri Lotman understood the science of communication systems and signs that are used in the process of communication).
- In religious terms, a phenomenon or event allegedly sent by higher powers as a message or warning. (Eugene earnestly prayed every morning and asked the Almighty to send him a sign from above).
- Traffic sign. (It is clear that the passage under the prohibition sign is a clear violation of the rules of the road).
- In mathematics, one digit in a number record. (Some people, possessing a phenomenal memory, are able to remember tens of thousands of digits of the number “pi”).
- A sign in mathematics that shows is a number positive or negative. (Negative numbers are preceded by a minus sign).
Synonyms and etymology
Since the sign is a multi-valued word, it also has a considerable number of synonyms. Here are some of them:
- Designation.
- Sema.
- Sign.
- Numeral.
- Information.
- Symbol.
- Gesture.
- Plus, minus.
- Code.
- Word.
- Form.
- Symbol.
- Hieroglyph.
- Logo.
- Difference.
- Icon.
- Label.
- Sign.
- The Omen.
- Omen.
- Harbinger
- Signal.
- Symptom.
- Nod.
- Hint.
- The note.
- Nick.
- The stigma.
- Print.
- Ex-libris.
- Emblem.
- Cipher.
- Mark.
- Label.
- Reper.
- Hieroglyph.
The word we are studying comes from the pre-Slavic znak, which passed into Old Russian and Church Slavonic (Znak), as well as into Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian, Czech, Slovak, Polish. It is related to the pro-Slavic verb znati, which also passed through Old Russian and Church Slavonic into Russian and other languages ​​close to it.
Sign in semiotics
In this science dealing with the study of signs, they are considered as some kind of agreement (explicit or not) on ascribing to the subject a certain meaning, value. And also a special case of using this agreement to transmit information is also called a sign. A sign can be multi-component, consist of a number of other signs. For example, numbers are signs of numbers. Letters are signs of sounds. Together with the signs denoting words, they make up the signs of the human language.
According to the Soviet and Russian cultural scientist, literary critic and semiotist Yu. M. Lotman, signs are divided into two groups - conditional and pictorial.
- A symbol is a symbol that does not have a motivated connection between its expression and content. The word is the most common of these characters.
- The figurative or conical is a sign in which the meaning and expression are naturally connected. Among the pictorial signs, the most common is a drawing.
In the language
A language sign is both a material and an ideal object. He appears in the form of unity:
- the signifier (form) - the sound envelope, or acoustic image;
- signified (content) - the concept that is indicated.
Moreover, the signifier is material, and the signified is ideal. Signs in a language have a number of characteristics, which will be discussed below.
Arbitrariness and significance
The sign is arbitrary, that is, the connection between the signifier and the signified, as a rule, is not dictated by the properties inherent in the signified object. However, there are options when the sign is “relatively motivated”. This is practiced when it is possible to decompose it into units of a lower order, for example, to divide a word into morphemes. And also, when the word is used not in the literal, but in the figurative sense. Moreover, motivation acts as a limiter of the arbitrariness of the sign.
A sign has its own significance (value), which is a combination of correlative properties. This significance can only be revealed in the system, when one linguistic sign is compared with other linguistic signs. So, for example, some signs do not indicate sounds. What sign in the word does not mean sound, but at the same time affects the pronunciation? Separation - hard and soft. Here are examples of words with dividing signs: bindweed, streams, pouring, present, move out, an object.
Asymmetry and linearity
The sign is characterized by asymmetry. It follows that one signifier can have several signifiers. For example, the word “three” simultaneously means both the number “3” and the verb “rub” in the imperative mood. This phenomenon is called homonymy. Homonyms are words that are spelled the same but different in meaning, with the coincidence being completely random.
Another example is the case of polysemy - polysemy. So, the word “arrow” can mean a part of the device, a symbol, a part of a plant, and a meeting of criminal elements. Moreover, according to scientists, both the signifier and the signified are not objects frozen, motionless. Their ratio is subject to constant violation. This means that over time, both the sound image of the unit of sound and its meaning change. This leads to the fact that the initial compliance is violated.
The property of linearity is inherent in the signifier, that is, in speech there is a sequential unfolding of units that are located relative to each other in accordance with certain laws.
Variation
The sign is characterized by variance, indicating the ability to transmit the same value in different forms. As a linguistic phenomenon, variation indicates linguistic redundancy, which is nevertheless necessary. She, as a consequence of evolution in the language, paves the way for its further development. Options may appear:
- in pronunciation (pace - temp, bakery - scam, rain - rain);
- in writing (mattress - mattress, galoshes - galoshes);
- in emphasis - cottage cheese, a compass - among professionals (both on the first and second syllables);
- in formative suffixes (reached - reached);
- at the ends of cases (contracts - contracts, six kilograms - six kilograms, many oranges - many orange);
Mutability
Signs are characterized by variability, which can be manifested in different ways:
- The signifier is changing, but the signified is not. Examples: once upon a time the name of the second winter month was pronounced and written as “February”, and now as “February”; Before the forehead was a forehead.
- The signifier remains unchanged, and the signified changes. For example, the word "wench" in the 18th and 19th centuries did not have a negative connotation, whereas today, when pronouncing it, it is usually meant a walking girl. And the word “guy”, on the contrary, was derogatory, unlike today.