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tekentheorie

Tekentheorie is a term that may appear in Dutch-language discussions about how signs function within communication. In standard scholarly usage, the study of signs is usually called semiotics (semiotiek) or sign theory (theorie van tekens); tekentheorie is sometimes used as a synonym or as an umbrella for sign-theoretic approaches across disciplines. The central concern is how signs—words, images, sounds, symbols—stand for objects, ideas, or social meanings, and how receivers interpret them in specific contexts.

Historically, tekentheorie draws on the core ideas of semiotics developed by Ferdinand de Saussure (signifier and

Key topics include the nature and functioning of the sign, the signifier–signified relation, codes and conventions,

See also: semiotics, sign theory, linguistic signs, visual semiotics. For Dutch readers, introductory texts on semiotics

signified,
the
relation
of
the
sign
to
language)
and
Charles
Peirce
(icon,
index,
symbol),
with
later
contributions
from
figures
such
as
Umberto
Eco
and
Roland
Barthes.
Contemporary
work
often
integrates
linguistics,
cognitive
science,
cultural
studies,
and
media
theory
to
analyze
signs
in
texts,
media
broadcasts,
digital
interfaces,
and
everyday
communication.
polysemy
and
ambiguity,
context
and
pragmatics,
and
the
social
dimensions
of
signs
in
shaping
identity,
power,
and
culture.
Methodologies
range
from
textual
and
discourse
analysis
to
visual
and
digital
semiotics,
frequently
combining
interpretive
analysis
with
theoretical
frameworks.
or
the
theory
of
signs
provide
foundational
background.