Communicative vs. Informative Signs: Semiotics Explained

Communicative vs. Informative Signs

Communicative signs are used intentionally to convey a message or idea. They include spoken words, written text, gestures, or any other form of communication where the sender is consciously trying to share information with the receiver.

Informative signs, on the other hand, convey information, but they are often unintentional or not meant for communication in the same way.

Significance, Communicated Meaning, and Linguistic Meaning

Consider a politician saying, “We must stand united.”

• Linguistic meaning: Refers to the literal, conventional meaning of words. In this example, it is a call for unity.
• Communicated meaning: Goes beyond literal meaning; it is what the speaker intends to convey in a specific context. In this example, it would be encouragement in a time of crisis.
• Significance: Refers to the relevance of something in the context of a situation. In this example, it could be related to a country's historical struggle.

The Semiotic Triangle

The semiotic triangle explains how signs, the objects they refer to, and concepts are related in the mind. Its components are:

• Thought: Reflects the fact that language is a product of processes in the mind or brain. "Thought" can be a misleading label because these processes include emotions and volitions; a more neutral term is “psychology.”
• Symbol: Chosen to express the speaker's intended meaning (strings of speech sounds, marks on a page, or hand signs). We can replace the broader term “symbol” with the simple term “language.”
• Referent: Refers to the things, events, or situations in the world that language describes. The world of referents is not a world of real external entities, but a world of representations projected by the mind. Descriptions vary based on the narrator's perspective, meaning that interpretation can differ significantly depending on the point of view.