In semiotics, the concept of a code is of fundamental importance. Saussure (1857-1913) emphasised that signs only acquire meaning and value when they are interpreted in relation to each other. He believed that the relationship between the signifier and the signified was arbitrary. Hence, interpreting signs requires familiarity with the sets of conventions or codes currently in use to communicate meaning. Roman Jakobson (1896-1982) elaborated the idea that the production and interpretation of texts depends on the existence of codes or conventions for communication. Since the meaning of a sign depends on the code within which it is situated, codes provide a framework within which signs make sense. Semiotics (originally spelled semeiotics to honour John Locke (1632-1704) who first coined the term semeiotike from the Greek word σημειον or semeion, meaning mark or sign) is the study of signs and sign systems. ... Ferdinand de Saussure (November 26, 1857 - February 22, 1913) was a Swiss linguist. ... In semiotics, a sign is generally defined as something that stands for something else, to someone in some capacity (Marcel Danesi and Paul Perron, Analyzing Cultures). It may be understood as a discrete unit of meaning. ... Meaning is studied in philosophy and linguistics. ... Value is a term that expresses the concept of worth in general, and it is thought to be connected to reasons for certain practices, policies, or actions. ... Convention has at least two separate and very distinct meanings. ... Roman Osipovich Jakobson (October 11, 1896 - July 18, 1982) was a Russian thinker who became one of the most influential linguists of the 20th century by pioneering the development of structural analysis of language, poetry, and art. ...

Discussion

Codes are rule-driven systems which suggest the choice of signifiers and their collocation to transmit the intended meanings in the most effective way. To that extent, codes represent a broad interpretative framework used by both addressers and their addressees to encode and decode the messages. Self-evidently, the most effective communications will result when both creator and interpreter use exactly the same code. Since signs may have many levels of meaning from the denotational to the connotational, the addresser's strategy is to select and combine the signs in ways that limit the range of possible meanings likely to be generated when the message is interpreted. This will be achieved by including metalingual contextual clues, e.g. the nature of the medium, the modality of the medium, the style, e.g. academic, literary, genre fiction, etc., and references to, or invocations of, other codes, e.g. a reader may initially interpret a set of signifiers as a literal representation, but clues may indicate a transformation into a metaphorical or allegorical interpretation. This article is in need of attention. ... Message in its most general meaning is the object of communication. ... In semiotics, denotation is the surface or literal meaning encoded to a signifier, and the definition most likely to appear in a dictionary. ... Stylistics is the study of style used in literary, and verbal language and the effect the writer/speaker wishes to communicate to the reader/hearer. ... Plato is credited with the inception of academia: the body of knowledge, its development and transmission across generations. ... Open Directory Project: Literature World Literature Electronic Text Archives Magazines and E-zines Online Writing Writers Resources Libraries, Digital Cataloguing, Metadata Distance Learning Dictionary of the History of Ideas: Classicism in Literature The Universal Library, by Carnegie Mellon University Project Gutenberg Online Library Abacci - Project Gutenberg texts matched with Amazon... Genre fiction is a term for writings by multiple authors that are very similar in theme and style, especially where these similarities are deliberately pursued by the authors. ... Many traditional academic analyses of language divided linguistic expressions into two classes: literal and figurative. ... In language, a metaphor is a rhetorical trope where a comparison is made between two seemingly unrelated subjects. ... An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the literal. ...

For native speakers, the dominant symbolic code will be their language which is divided into spoken and written forms. The language will reflect (if not construct — see lexical words) the cultural reality and social codes diachronically. Distinctions of class or memberships of groups will be determined by the social identity each individual constructs through the way the language is spoken (i.e. with an accent or as a dialect) or written (i.e. in sentences or in SMS format), the place of residence, the nature of any employment undertaken, the style of dress, and nonverbal behaviour (e.g. say as macho or gay, or through differentiating customs as to the extent of private space, whether and where people may touch or stare at each other, etc.). The process of socialisation is learning to understand the prevailing codes and then deciding which to apply at any given time, i.e. acknowledging that there is sometimes an ideological quality to the coding system, determining levels of social acceptability, reflecting current attitudes and beliefs. This includes regulatory codes that are intended to control behaviour and the use of some signifying codes. Obviously, the human body is the means of using presentational codes through facial expressions, gestures, and dress. So words spoken may change their connotation to unnaceptable if accompanied by inappropriate nonverbal signs. Diachronic study is the study of the development of a language over a period of time. ... Social class refers to the ranking of people into a hierarchy within a culture. ... Accents mark speakers as a member of a group by their pronunciation of the standard language. ... A dialect (from the Greek word διάλεκτος) is a variety of a language used by people from a particular geographic area. ... A received SMS being announced on a Nokia phone. ... Machismo is a noun of Spanish origin, and refers to a prominently exhibited or excessive masculinity. ... Although the word Gay originally meant happy, in modern usage the term is often applied interchangeably with homosexual. However, there are important differences between the terms: while homosexual relates specifically to sexuality, the term gay is a political or social marker. ... Custom: a common practice among people, especially depending on country, culture, time and religion. ... In psychology, socialization is the process by which children and others adopt the behavior patterns of the culture that surrounds them. ... An ideology is a collection of ideas. ... See: Aircraft attitude Attitude (magazine) Attitude (album) Attitude (psychology) Propositional attitude This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Belief is assent to a proposition. ...

The other code forms rely upon knowledge held by, and the interests of, the addressees. Specialised denotational codes may provide a more objective and impersonal form of language for mathematical, philosophical, and scientific texts. Hence, for example, the ability to read this text depends upon a more specialised form of vocabulary and different skills to those required to read a genre text detailing the investigations of a detective or the adventures of a secret agent. There are also specialised connotational and ideological codes to reflect particular social, political, moral, and aesthetic values. Musical and iconic codes would be relevant as between a work by Arnold Schoenberg and a piece of bubblegum pop, and a painting by Rembrandt and a comic book by Frank Miller, etc. Each medium has its own specialised codes and, by making them more explicit, semiotics is attempting to explain the practices and conventions have have appeared in each form and to understand how meaning is being communicated. In return, this assists addressers to improve their techniques, no matter what their functional needs, e.g. as politicians, journalists, advertisers, creative artists, etc. Indeed, awareness leads to an intentional blending of codes for effect, e.g. an advertiser may produce a more effective campaign with a slogan, images and a jingle using lexical, social gestural, and musical codes. Knowledge is the awareness and understanding of facts, truths or information gained in the form of experience or learning (a posteriori), or through introspection (a priori). ... A vocabulary is a set of words known to a person or other entity, or that are part of a specific language. ... An ideology is a collection of ideas. ... Arnold Schoenberg, Los Angeles, 1948 For the American music critic and journalist, see Harold Charles Schonberg. ... Bubblegum pop (bubblegum rock, bubblegum music) is a genre of popular music and rock and roll. ... Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606 – October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters in European art history (together with Pieter Paul Rubens and Federico Fellini), and the most important United Provinces (Netherlands) painter of the seventeenth century. ... A comic book is a magazine or book containing the art form of comics. ... The first issue of The Dark Knight Returns, perhaps Millers best known work Frank Miller (born 27 January 1957 in Olney, Maryland) is an American writer and artist best known for his film noir-style comic book stories. ...

References

• Chandler, Daniel. Semiotics: The Basics. London: Routledge (2002)
• Jakobson, Roman. 'Language in Relation to Other Communication Systems'. In: Selected Writings, Vol. 2. Mouton: The Hague, pp. 570-79. (1971).