The semiotics of printed instructions (graphic signa)

Semantics;Semiotics

Toumajian, Trak-Sarkis ; Hervey, Sandor ; Hervey, Sandor

University:The University of St Andrews

Department:Modern Languages (School of)

关键词: Semantics;    Semiotics;   

Others  :  https://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10023/2899/Trak-SarkisToumajianPhDThesis.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

来源: DR-NTU

【 摘 要 】

This thesis sets out to describe sign systems for communicationusing Axiomatic Functionalism as its theoretical framework.In doing so, the thesis also provides an importanttest to the claim of Axiomatic Functionalism that by usingits premisses the semiotician (or linguist) has all thenecessary "tools" s/he needs for the analysis and description(the one implies the other) of any semiotic system forcommunication (including Language).Using Axiomatic Functionalism the author attempts todescribe a number of graphic semiotic systems for communication.He finds that for an adequate description of thesigna (a generic term which includes various types of signsand symbols) in these systems further theoretical notionsand definitions are needed. Discussing these the authorconcludes that for Axiomatic Functionalism to maintain itsclaim of universal applicability to any sign system for communicationit needs to incorporate in its premisses thenotions and definitions proposed here.The thesis begins by a brief general introduction tosemiotics. This is followed by a discussion of what constitutesscientific theories in relation to semiotics (includinglinguistics). The relevant aspects of AxiomaticFunctionalism are then discussed, after which certainoriginal theoretical notions are introduced. These include:“mnemonic economy" (with its many manifestations including"mnemonic/pictorial motivation"), the "general organisingprinciple" ("systemic principle"), "principle of coinage" (amechanism for generating signa), and "signum-family”.Having established the necessary theoretical background, theauthor proceeds to describe various graphic “signum-systems"discussing their important features and establishing thetypes of signum they consist of and, consequently, the typesof system they are, their complexity and the "plerology”(grammar) of each system, where present. The systems discussedinclude various systems used in books on plants; asystem used in a book on "lace knitting"; a system used inworking models; a system used in providing information aboutpaintings in the "Classics of World Art" series of books;and a system used in the "Automobile Association" handbooks.Further Axiomatic Functionalist theoretical notions,directly relevant to the systems described thereafter, arethen introduced. This is followed by a description of threesystems: two computer "languages", the "Hexadecimal notation"and the "binary code", and the "Library of Congressclassification system". A final brief "Epilogue" concludesthe thesis.