On the Praxis-Oriented Semiotic Aesthetics in Eastern European Marxism

Eastern European Marxism,taking a critical stance towards structuralism,gave rise to a unique paradigm of praxis-oriented semiotic aesthetics.This novel approach posits that signs emerge from humans’social praxis and also function as a means of praxis.It further delves into the principle governing the generation and usage of signs,i.e.,the Economy Principle,the homogenization of signs,the situatedness or contextual constraints,as well as their aesthetic features and transcendental attributes.As a result,the praxis-oriented semiotic aesthetics within Eastern European Marxism exhibits distinct theoretical value.

A Study on Honeysuckle Pattern in Yungang Grottoes From the Perspective of Semiotics

Buddhism was introduced to China during the Han Dynasty and took root in China,integrating with local culture.The classic pattern of honeysuckle in Buddhism,as a type of border decoration,was also introduced to China with the eastward advancement of Buddhism.This article aims to conduct a semiotic study on the patterns of honeysuckle patterns in the Yungang Grottoes.Firstly,the concept of honeysuckle patterns was explained,and typical honeysuckle patterns that appeared in the Yungang Grottoes were systematically organized and classified.Then,with the help of semiotic principles,the production of symbols for honeysuckle patterns in the Yungang Grottoes was analyzed from a semiotic perspective.Based on this,the semiotic characteristics of honeysuckle patterns in the Yungang Grottoes and their signifier and referent systems were analyzed in depth.Finally,the shape and connotation of honeysuckle patterns in their evolution and development were summarized.The honeysuckle pattern occupies an important position in the history of traditional patterns in China,so the honeysuckle pattern in Yungang Grottoes,as a decorative theme,not only has important research significance,but its semiotic value is also worth exploring and studying.

Multilingual Practices and Multiple Contestations in the Linguistic Landscape of Selected Towns in Oromia:A geosemiotic perspective

This study analyzed a linguistic landscape,which is a relatively recent development in sociolinguistic research committed to the investigation of the visual manifestations of the relationships observed between language or semiosis and society in the public space.There has been less attention on the semiotic interpretations in the public environments despite the ubiquitous nature of such signs in Ethiopia.This study intends to fill this gap through Semiotic Landscape research.By means of mixed methods,qualitative and quantitative,it aims to discover the contestations in the Linguistic Landscape(LL,henceforth)of selected urban environments in Oromia.The study employed a theoretical concept of geosemiotics from social semiotics as an analytical tool.Visual data consisting of 1275 photographs of signs were collected from the main streets of Adama,Jimma and Sebeta towns from different domains of sign using bodies.Besides,data were collected through in-depth interviews with major LL actors,selected based on purposive sampling technique.The analysis demonstrated that some top-down and most of bottom-up signs showed varieties of multilingual practices,contestations,identity constructions and other related social concerns.The absence of a clear policy on language use on signs at both federal and regional levels has resulted in contestations.

Research Status of Navigation Idioms in Semiotics

The present situation of study of Chinese and English navigation idioms is examined from the perspective of semiotics.Firstly,the author expounds the background of the study on navigation idioms.Secondly,the paper expounds several core concepts related to research.In the end,the article summarizes the vast majority of navigation idioms from the perspective of language and cultural relations with the relevant published literature,as well as cnki.net and English journals,and rarely studies navigation idi⁃oms systematically from the perspective of semiotics.Therefore,it is necessary to carry out this study and find out the cultural simi⁃larities and differences from another perspective.

Semiotic理论在农业生态观光园景观构建中的应用

在目前的农业生态观光园景观构建中,由于规划缺乏系统性和地域性,导致国内景观单调、园区结构混乱、园务管理难等问题。因此,试图引入语言符号学理论进行景观设计,以降低景观设计中的非理性因素。藉此,对语言符号学理论中的重要论点及其在农业生态观光园景观设计中的应用进行论述,并分别就点、线、面状元素等设计思想,以戛洒农业生态观光园景观设计为例进行了说明。

An Analysis of the Ballad of the Sad Café from the Perspective of Grei mas'Semiotic Square

Greimas's Semiotic Square is a new approach in analyzing literary works.Based on Sassure and Jacnson's claim on binary opposition,Gereimas extends it to four actants and adds contradictory relationships.By assign meanings to the four actants,an analysis of the complicated relationship between the roles in a text can be made and a revelation of the theme of the text can be realized.Previous studies of this novel take it as an excellent work revealing loneliness and isolation is thought to be the basic condition of human existence.Other study covers the effects of the unrequited love.Quiet differently,this paper tries to interpret this novel by Greimas'semiotic square and thereby revealing the widely accepted theme of this novel that isolation and loneliness is the final destiny of human being in modern society.

An Introduction to Brand Semiotics

This paper attempts to review the semiotic study of brands.Due to the various traditions of semiotics,the approach in question contains several ways of interpretation,including structural semiotics and Peircean semiotics.Former researchers mainly focus on the first method and seldom employ the second one.Despite a review of former studies,this paper also puts forward a new pattern of study and points out the significance of the semiotic approach and queries remained to be settled.

A Semiotic Analysis of Programming Languages

The paper presents an analysis of computer programming languages based on the semiotics of Charles S. Peirce. The author describes how such languages could evolve in order to achieve some of the expressive characteristics of natural languages. This description evinces otherwise unnoticed differences between natural languages and programming languages, showing that Peircean semiotics is an efficient analysis tool. This suggests further research on the technical features needed to implement an easier way to program computers.

Prototypicality Gradient and Similarity Measure: A Semiotic-Based Approach Dedicated to Ontology Personalization

This paper introduces a new approach dedicated to the Ontology Personalization. Inspired by works in Cognitive Psychology, our work is based on a process which aims at capturing the user-sensitive relevance of the categorization process, that is the one which is really perceived by the end-user. Practically, this process consists in decorating the Specialization/Generalization links (i.e. the is-a links) of the hierarchy of concepts with 2 gradients. The goal of the first gradient, called Conceptual Prototypicality Gradient, is to capture the user-sensitive relevance of the categorization process, that is the one which is perceived by the end-user. As this gradient is defined according to the three aspects of the semiotic triangle (i.e. intentional, extensional and expressional dimension), we call it Semiotic based Prototypicality Gradient. The objective of the second gradient, called Lexical Prototypicality Gradient, is to capture the user-sensitive relevance of the lexicalization process, i.e. the definition of a set of terms used to denote a concept. These gradients enrich the initial formal semantics of an ontology by adding a pragmatics defined according to a context of use which depends on parameters like culture, educational background and/or emotional context of the end-user. This paper also introduces a new similarity measure also defined in the context of a semiotic-based approach. The first originality of this measure, called SEMIOSEM, is to consider the three semiotic dimensions of the conceptualization underlying an ontology. Thus, SEMIOSEM aims at aggregating and improving existing extensional-based and intentional-based measures. The second originality of this measure is to be context-sensitive, and in particular user-sensitive. This makes SEMIOSEM more flexible, more robust and more close to the end-user’s judgment than the other similarity measures which are usually only based on one aspect of a conceptualization and never take the end-user’s perceptions and purposes into account.

A Semiotic Approach to Social Discourses on Colombian Political Events of the Late Twentieth Century

The paper that we present below addresses a methodological approach to Marc Angenot’s statements,in his Social Discourse(2012)of integrating certain views and opinions,taken from the written press,literature,and television,on events happened in Colombia,prior to 1990 presidential elections.When we study the discursivities1 that are the product and/or the representatives of some political crimes that took place in Colombia between August 1989 and April 1990,we speak mainly on discourses that took place some decades ago.Some of these stories have allowed us to give meaning to the world and,at the same time,integrate us in it.

Bernard Shaw is an Incomplete Feminist—A Feminist Semiotic Reading of Candida

As an advocate for feminism,George Bernard Shaw,to awaken especially women to their subordinate and captivated posi⁃tion and opportunity for being New woman,wrote Candida in a time when women were stuck into“the virgin mother”role.Howev⁃er,from the perspective of feminist semiotic theory,we found that although creating a new woman different from the one defined by the common standard,Bernard Shaw still didn’t break the chain of portraying a“sign woman”-“the virgin mother”controlled by the patriarchal prejudice from male gaze.In addition,Candida becomes an object portrayed through two men characters and she be⁃comes the means to expose the developing of man character rather than the subject in the play.And Shaw’s limited feminism is al⁃so reflected in his other plays.Therefore,Bernard Shaw is an incomplete feminist.

Research of Applying Semiotic Theory in Interface Design of Mobile Phone

Mobile phone has become the most important daily device in modern society since 21 stcentury. What's more, it will continue to play a significant role in people's daily life in the foreseeable near future. An outstanding interface design can not only bring convenience to users, but also strengthen users' experience feelings and give customers more fun and joy. This paper is mainly about how to use semiotic theory in the application of phone interface design. By analyzing basic elements of signal transmission as well as"Triplet Theory"in semiotics, and practicing every single element in the design, the value of semiotics application can be clearly shown. That is, to help interface designer understand customers better and fulfill their needs more accurately and to accomplish fantastic designs in mobile interface.

Semiotic Analysis on Female Cosmetics Packaging--A Case Study of Soap ＆ Glory, Rimmel, Tom Ford and Christian Louboutin

Packaging plays an essential role in cosmetics market and a successful cosmetics packaging can be a game changer in drawing in consumers.This study conducts a social semiotic analysis of four female cosmetics products packaging from two drugstore brands-Soap & Glory, Rimmel and two high-end brands-Tom Ford and Christian Louboutin in order to find the differences and similarities in terms of the usage of semiotics modes in drugstore and high-end cosmetics products packaging respectively. The finding reveals that in order to compensate for lack of popularity and for marketing purpose, those general products have more frequent usage in terms of color, image, text and typography while high-end products would have less frequent usages.

Assistive technologies and habit development:a Semiotic Model of Technological Mediation

In the field of philosophy of technology,the concept of mediation is central to understanding how technology shapes human experience and behavior.Our aim in this paper is to contribute to the understanding of technological mediation,in particular how and why it is possible.Technological mediation occurs within a mediation space between the technological realm and the user realm.In the technological realm,technology regularizes events and actions,while in the user realm,the user interprets the significative potential of the technology.This interpretation process is identical with use and involves the formation of user habits,which are constrained by technological,cognitive,and sociocultural factors.To provide a theoretical framework for our analysis,we propose the Semiotic Model of Technological Mediation(SMTM),which draws on Charles Peirceʼs semiotics.To illustrate our argument,we focus on assistive technology and provide a recurring example of the Medimi®Smart,a digital,comprehensive system for medication handling.

Semiotics and political discourse in the post-truth era

The concept of post-truth has been on the world’s agenda since 2016.Perhaps this concept,which is frequently encountered in political life,provides the speaker with a freer speaking platform.Politicians,instead of presenting the reality to their constituents as it is,want to reshape this reality according to their own ideology and present it to the recipient.Politicians have certain objectives in creating such a virtual reality.These aims can be listed as keeping the voters,increasing the voting potential,and attracting undecided voters to their favor.The common result of all these aims is to gain political power or to remain in the existing power.Post-truth reality is constructed relatively more easily in social media environments.The construction of reality can be through beliefs or emotions.In such ways,the recipient is tried to be persuaded,and thus behavioral change is achieved.One of the most necessary subjects for this artificial reality atmosphere is the anti-subject.The idea that the anti-subject does not know the truth that we(you and I)know and believe and is trying to destroy it is the main theme of post-truth discourse.Politicians try to persuade the voters to believe in their own truth by expressing this idea to them.There are many examples of this around the world.In this study,firstly,the concept of post-truth is examined and its various definitions are discussed.The distinctions between the concepts of real and truth are analyzed and then it is explained how and for what purposes the concept of post-truth is used in politics.Following the comparison of post-truth and fake news,the concept is discussed within the framework of sender-receiver interaction in terms of communication.The concept is tried to be elucidated with the modalities such as/convincing/,/believing/,/being/,/appearing/.Besides,using the semiotic square,the study also tries to reveal the different purposes and forms of use of the concept of post-truth.As a result,it has been observed that the concept of post-truth is effective in many areas of contemporary societies,and rather than real information,expected and desired information has become more important.

The Peircean Sign as a Model for Interpreting Semiotic Structures in Mandarin Chinese

The notion that language is a system of signs is explored in the context of Mandarin Chinese.We use the Peircean Sign,derived from the Peircean ontological categories Firstness,Secondness,and Thirdness,as an interpretive framework.Because Mandarin Chinese is both well-documented and comparatively opaque to foreign influences,it presents an ideal case study for the formation of semiotic structures based on the operation of a single Peircean Category-sign(in contrast to English,which,with much higher levels of foreign contact-induced change,would be expected to involve a broad mixture of various semiotic influences).We examine semiotic structures in Chinese at the featural/phonological,lexical,and morphosyntactic levels,as well as the inventory of written characters.We conclude that the primary constraint that conditions semiotic structures in Chinese is the Peircean category Firstness of Secondness/[12].We also show how this conditioning constraint imposes a semiotic and structural consistency across different levels of language,and how it helps to explain certain evolutionary characteristics of Chinese.

Semiotic rhetoric of gift giving in ancient China

This paper examines the signifying mechanism of gift-giving in ancient China from the perspective of semiotic rhetoric,aiming to answer the question of what can be regarded as li(roughly meaning ceremony,rite,courtesy,or gift)or,in other words,how the social meaning of gifts is constructed in giving semiosis.It describes four dominant rhetorical devices that existed in ritual and non-ritual gift exchanges in ancient China.The ritual gift tended to adopt simile and conceit as its meaning-construction device,becoming a symbolic good beyond‘thingness'and thus fulfilling the sociocultural function of ritual.Non-ritual giving activity made use of semiotic metonymy and synecdoche as a strategy of indirectness'to maintain the relationship between the giver and receiver in daily communications.

Toward a semiotic pyramid:language studies,AI,and knowledge exchange economy

This paper addresses the interrelation between AI and language studies in the(digital)humanities in the context of knowledge exchange economies.We propose a three-dimensional semiotic model(pyramid)that includes AI as an active agent in meaning-creation into the sign system of communication and test its validity on autocompletion and predictive texting.We,therefore,analyzed 360 million tweets on COvID-19 over a period of 2 years and focused on the time-dependent shift of language use in the positive and negative extremes correlating to significant external events.The data suggest that digital language use has significantly changed over the course of the pandemic.Feedback loops are created between Al,utterance,and external reality that fossilize preconceived notions into textual isoglosses by suggesting and completing text entries.We thus argue that AI subtly changes the perception of reality by influencing the choice of wording.To mitigate the impact of AI in meaning-creation,we highlight the structural precautions undertaken by providers;we argue,however,that the(digital)humanities may re-emphasize their intrinsic value within the economy of knowledge exchange according to the subject-specific insights they may provide for language use and AI.

The origin and development of pragmatics as a study of meaning:semiotic perspective

Pragmatics has grown into a flourishing independent academic discipline.Undefined and unsolved are,nevertheless,such confusing and controversial concerns in its evolution as research boundaries and uncertain definition.Some academics view Austin's Speech Act Theory to be the birth of pragmatics,which certainly confines pragmatics to the field of linguistics and hence limits its study scope.This assertion is incongruous with Morris'primary objective of proposing the word pragmatics from the standpoint of semiotics,inspired by Peirce.This research intends to investigate pragmatics from the perspective of linguistic philosophy and semiotics and argues that pragmatics derives and develops from Peirce's pragmatist semiotics and Morris'behavioral semiotics.Pragmatics is the exertion of the"interpretant"in Pierce's Semiotics.Clearly,it is one of the three branches of Morris's semiotics that investigates the relationship between signs and sign users.The meaning of signs is derived from the interpretation of sign users.Pierce's pragmatism or pragmaticism is the intellectual foundation of pragmatics.As its research objective,it focuses on the relationship between meaning and context,i.e.,the llocutionary meaning not covered by the study of semantics.Its primary methodology is based on logical reasoning.

Visual representation of ASUU strikes in Nigeria:a semiotic analysis of cartoons in selected Nigerian newspapers

Until recently,the study of language and meaning of cartoons,the media discourses they generate,and their analysis as a creative means of exploring meaning-making processes as semiotic resources have not received much scholarly attention in Nigeria.Although cartoons that involve the use of satire and humour as visual representations of reality have gained prominence across many media platforms in Nigeria,only a few scholars have examined this from a social semiotics perspective.This has created a gap in the literature,thus creating room for a para-digm shift in the field of social semiotics.This study explores the semiotics of car-toons in selected Nigerian newspapers to examine the meaning-making resources employed in the visual representation of ASUU strikes in Nigeria.The study,there-fore,examines how cartoonists manipulate symbols,signs,and other semiotic resources to convey specific meanings through visual and textual representations.The study adopts a qualitative research design;data comprising cartoons sourced from selected Vanguard Newspapers and websites are analyzed using Kress and Van Leeuwen's visual semiotics and interpreted from the standpoints of Halliday's Systematic Functional Linguistics(SFL)approach and O'Halloran's position on metaphorical constructions of meaning.Here,metaphorical manipulation and rep-resentation of visual elements in the selected cartoons are interrogated.Findings from the study show the use of semiotic resources in the portrayer of reality in the context of the seemingly intractable ASUU strikes and their consequences on aca-demic activities in Nigeria.This scholarly intervention deserves attention as it significantly contributes to the field of social semiotics through its visual represen-tation in portraying challenges faced by the educational systems in Nigeria vis-a-vis poorgovernment funding.