Rethinking the Peircean trichotomy of icon, index, and symbol
Document Type
Journal article
Source Publication
Semiotica: Journal of the International Association for Semiotic Studies
Publication Date
11-2016
Volume
2016
Issue
213
First Page
165
Last Page
175
Publisher
De Gruyter Mouton
Keywords
classification of signs, Peircean trichotomy, index, icon, symbol, sign emergence and evolution
Abstract
Classification of signs into various kinds is a vital enterprise in semio- tic research. As early as over a century ago, the American semiotician Charles Sanders Peirce laid down a solid foundation for this work by proposing his famous trichotomy of signs. Later scholars have been mostly applying Peirce’s theory to their own semiotic studies rather than challenging the inadequacies that exist therein, thus giving rise to a great number of confusions or even contradictions. The present article modifies Peirce’s theory from the perspective of sign emergence and evolution and emphasizes the importance of understanding sign transformations.
DOI
10.1515/sem-2015-0134
Print ISSN
00371998
E-ISSN
16133692
Publisher Statement
Copyright © 2016, Walter de Gruyter GmbH.
Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.
Full-text Version
Publisher’s Version
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Ding, E. (2016). Rethinking the Peircean trichotomy of icon, index, and symbol. Semiotica: Journal of the International Association for Semiotic Studies, 2016(213), 165-175. doi: 10.1515/sem-2015-0134