semiotics

Question 1

what is a sign?

Answer 1

any motion, gesture, image, sound, pattern or event that conveys meaning

Question 2

what is a denotation?

Answer 2

literal meaning of a thing

Question 3

what is a connotation?

Answer 3

ideas that are connected and implied by a word/phrase/action etc

Question 4

what is the signifier?

Answer 4

any material thing that signifies e.g. words on a page, a facial expression

Question 5

what is signified?

Answer 5

the concept that a signifier refers to

Question 6

what is an iconic sign/code?

Answer 6

where the signifier resembles the signified e.g. a photo

Question 7

what is a indexical code?

Answer 7

assumed relationship where one leads to another

Question 8

what is a symbolic code?

Answer 8

no obvious relationship between signifier and signified e.g. a rose signifying love

Question 9

what is paradigm?

Answer 9

the possible choices of signifiers that are all suitable for a genre of texts and belong to a classification of signifiers

Question 10

what is syntagm?

Answer 10

when grouped, the signifiers create meaning specific to the text through forming relationships and combinations with other signifiers around them