Ever wondered how we understand words beyond just hearing them?
Signified and signifier
Ever wondered how we understand words beyond just hearing them?
Imagine you're reading a sign that says "STOP" at a crosswalk. You instantly understand it means to halt your vehicle, even though you can't see the person writing it.
The sign represents what it's meant to communicate (to stop), while the actual sign (the written word "STOP") is just a visual cue. The technical term for this is the "signifier-signified" relationship.
Example
The word "STOP" (signifier) triggers the meaning to halt (signified).
Remember this
The signifier-signified relationship helps us understand meanings beyond the physical form of words.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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