signifikat

Signifikat is a term used in semiotics to denote the signified—the concept, idea, or meaning that a linguistic sign conveys. In the framework of Ferdinand de Saussure, a sign comprises two components: the signifier (the form of the sign, such as a sound pattern or written word) and the signified (the mental concept evoked by that form). The signified exists in the mind of the receiver and is not the physical object itself. The relationship between signifier and signified is conventional and arbitrary, established by a community through language.

The signified is distinguished from the referent, the actual object in the world. A single signifier can evoke different signifieds among individuals or cultures, and different languages may pair the same signified with different signifiers. This flexibility underlines the social nature of meaning-making in language.

In scholarly usage, signifikat is commonly used as the translation or equivalent of “signified” in many languages, including Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish, among others. The concept remains central to discussions of how meaning is produced, negotiated, and transmitted within linguistic systems and broader semiotic processes.

Overall, the signifikat represents the mental meaning associated with a sign, as opposed to the physical form of the signifier or the external object it may refer to.