semiotiken
Semiotics, or semiotiken, is the study of signs and sign processes (semiosis) and how meaning arises in communication and culture. It analyzes linguistic signs and nonverbal signs, symbols, images, sounds, and practices, treating sign systems as structures through which meaning circulates, is interpreted, and can be contested.
Ferdinand de Saussure laid the groundwork with the dyadic model of the linguistic sign, consisting of the
Charles Peirce proposed a broader triadic model: the sign (representamen), the object, and the interpretant. Signs
In the 20th century semiotics influenced literary theory, media studies, and cultural analysis. Roland Barthes, Umberto
Critics argue for methodological limits and overinterpretation, while supporters view semiotics as a versatile toolkit for