Tegneteorien

Tegnteorien, or sign theory, is the study of signs and sign processes within the broader field of semiotics. It investigates how signs—whether words, images, sounds, or objects—stand for something else and how meaning is produced, interpreted, and communicated within cultures and contexts. Tegneteorien explores the relationships between signifier (the form of a sign), signified (the concept it represents), and the referent in the world, as well as how these relationships vary across languages and media.

Historically, tegneteorien has roots in the work of Ferdinand de Saussure, who proposed a dyadic model of the linguistic sign (signifier and signified) and emphasized the relational nature of meaning within language systems. Charles Peirce contributed a triadic model (sign, object, interpretant) that widened sign theory to include a broader range of signs beyond language. In the 20th century, these ideas influenced many approaches, including structuralism, post-structuralism, and various strands of media and cultural studies, such as semiology and social semiotics. Scholars like Roland Barthes and Umberto Eco popularized semiotic analysis in literature, film, and popular culture.

Core concepts common to tegnteorien include denotation and connotation, codes and conventions, and the distinction between signs as cultural artifacts and as instruments of communication. Applications span linguistics, media studies, advertising, art, and design, where semiotic analysis helps unpack how meaning is constructed and interpreted. Critiques often address questions of universality, cultural specificity, and methodological clarity in sign interpretation.