Signed systems: examples, types and types

Signed systems were formed throughout the history of mankind. This was necessary not only for the accumulation of buildings to be transferred from generation to generation - according to many anthropologists, the science of signs originally originated as a means of communication between people.

What is semiotics?

Semiotics is a branch of knowledge that studies signs and sign systems. It arose at the intersection of several disciplines - psychology, biology, cybernetics, literature, and sociology. Within the semiotics, three vast areas of knowledge are made. This is syntactics, semantics, pragmatics. Syntactics studies the laws by which various kinds of sign systems are arranged, the methods of the device, by means of which the various elements of the language are correlated. The subject of the study of semantics is the meaning - the relation between the sign itself and its meaning. Pragmatics studies the relationship between those who use the language and the most sign system. A sign is a certain material object (as well as an event or phenomenon) that is objectively used to replace another object, its property, or the relation between objects.

Secondary modeling systems

In addition to the main classes of sign systems, there are also secondary modeling systems. Otherwise they are called "culture codes". This category includes all types of cultural texts (excluding natural language), social activities, different patterns of behavior, traditions, myths, religious beliefs. Cultural codes are formed in the same way as a natural language. They function according to the principle of agreement between members of society. Agreements, or codes, are known to every member of the group.

The development of the psyche and the mastery of the sign system

Mastering various kinds of sign systems is also a critically important factor for the development of higher mental functions. Semiotic systems allow an individual to master a social culture, historically formed acceptable ways of behavior, social experience. At the same time, self-awareness develops. Starting with the elementary sensations, over time it forms in a number of skills of self-perception, drawing up a certain opinion about yourself, personal logic.

Encoding and decoding of information

In psychology, various examples of sign systems are most often studied in the context of their correlation with cognitive processes. Much attention is paid to neurophysiological features. But quite often speech as a way of information transfer, knowledge sharing is left by scientists aside. Until now, for researchers, the process of coding with the help of symbolic systems of visual images presents a riddle. The mental image is coded in the speaker's brain into words. In the brain of the listener, it is decoded. Those transformations that occur in this case remain unexplored.

Language sign systems: examples

Currently, linguistics is a dynamically developing branch of knowledge. The linguistic method is applied in many sciences - for example, in ethnography and psychoanalysis. There are six types of sign systems in total. These are natural systems, iconic, conventional, recording systems, verbal systems. We will dwell on each type in more detail.

Iconic systems

An example of iconic sign systems is architecture, ballet, music, non-verbal communication. They usually have a strong enough emotional saturation, full of figurative components that are part of the sign. The study of various examples of sign systems shows that a scientist must not only use objective methods, but also independently model various examples of emotions, communicative situations.

Natural signs

These signs are found in nature and in everyday life. Usually these are certain things or natural phenomena that point to other objects. Otherwise, they are also called signs-signs. An example of iconic systems relating to natural, may be signs of weather, traces of animals. A classic illustration of this semiotic system is the sign of smoke, which indicates a fire.

Functional signs

This type of signs also applies to signs-signs. However, unlike natural, the connection of a functional sign with the object that it designates is due to a certain function, the activity of people. For example, a home interior within the semiotics is a text that indicates the level of well-being of the owners of the house. A set of books on the bookshelf provides the viewer with information about the tastes of the library owner, the level of his mental and moral development. Also, a functional sign can often be action. For example, a class teacher leads a finger along the list of students in the journal. This action is also a functional sign - it means that soon someone will be called to the board.

Covention marks

This example of a sign system is otherwise called conditional. The name "conventional" comes from the Latin conventio - "agreement". Conditional signs serve to denote objects and phenomena of the surrounding world "by condition". They themselves, as a rule, have very little in common with what they designate. Examples of sign systems related to conventional: traffic signal, indices, cartographic symbols, symbols (emblems, emblems).

Verbal (Speech) Sign Systems

This category includes all human languages. Each language has a historically established basis (the so-called "semiotic basis"). The main feature of human languages is that each of them is a polystructural and multilevel system. This system is capable of almost unlimited development. The iconic speech system is the richest tool for storing, processing and further transmitting information.

Sign systems

This semiotic category includes the sign systems that arise on the basis of the previous groups - verbal, dance, music. Signed recording systems are secondary to these groups. They arose with the advent of writing. Without recording systems, the cognitive evolution of man would be impossible.

Semiotic experiences in history

Ancient Greek scientist Platon divided all sounds into categories of fast, huge, thin and rounded. MV Lomonosov was of the opinion that frequent repetition in the written or oral speech of the letter "A" promotes the depiction of greatness, depth and height. The letters "E" and "Yu" help depict affection, small objects, tenderness. These views were set forth in his work "A Brief Guide to eloquence."

The researcher I. N. Gorelov conducted an interesting experiment. The subjects were asked to characterize the fantastic animals named "mamlyn" and "javaruga". All of the participants in the experiment found "momlynu" a kind, meek and rounded in form creature. "Javaruga" was classified as wild, prickly and evil.

Language of Volapuk

On the planet there is a huge number of languages, many dead languages - those that came out of everyday life. Despite this, there are still those who enthusiastically invent new ones. Examples of artificial sign systems are the well-known language of Esperanto, the preceding Volapuk, universal gel, Catholic lingua, solresol and many others. One of the most complex is Ithkuil, created on the basis of ancient symbols. Artificial languages were created by people working in different spheres. It was not always those who worked in the professions of the sign system.

One of the strangest artificial languages is volopyuk. The idea of his invention first came to the head of a German priest named Martin Schleyer. The clergyman claimed that the idea of creating an artificial language was offered to him by the Lord himself in a dream. The goal of creating Volapuk was to simplify communication - Schleiere tried to create a simple and universal language. As a basis, he took the European languages - Latin, English and German. The priest tried to create words only from one syllable.

At first, the public did not show much interest in this artificial language. However, a community was soon established, which began to spread information about the new language. As a result, at the peak of his popularity, he numbered more than one hundred thousand speakers.

The language of volupyk to many Europeans seemed rather strange. The roots of the words from different European dialects contained in it made it recognizable, but rather ridiculous. Until now, the word "volapuk" means nonsense, gibberish. Despite this, Volapuk was popular until the time when Nazis came to power in Germany.

Esperanto and other languages

However, when they speak of artificial languages, they first of all recall a language called Esperanto. It was created at the end of the XIX century and flourishes to the present time - its bearers are hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.

Esperanto has not accidentally gained popularity - it's a very simple language, which contains only 16 rules of grammar. It is noteworthy that there is not one exception in them. The words of Esperanto contain the roots of various European languages, as well as Slavic. It is especially clear to the Americans.

In time, so that the phrase "artificial languages" did not bear a negative connotation, they were called "planned". Directly the status of languages is received only by those that have a sufficient number of carriers. If the artificial language is spoken only by its creator and a couple of friends, it is called a "linguproject".

By the way, Esperanto, despite its wide distribution, was not the first of the planned languages. The first was created by an abbess named Hildegarda of Bingen. He was called Lingua Ignota ("unknown speech"). Abbess claimed that he was sent down from heaven. In this language there was a written language and a dictionary, in which thousands of concepts were deciphered. Artificial languages were created in the countries of the East. For example, "bala-ibalan". It was invented by Sheikh Mukhilddin, using Persian, Arabic and Turkish as the basis.

Binary system

Most artificial languages were created on the basis of existing ones, so a binary signed system using numbers does not belong to a communication medium. In it, as you know, information is recorded using two digits - 0 and 1. Once there were computers and with a more complex system - a ternary one. But binary - the most convenient for digital technology. In the binary sign system, 1 and 0 denote the presence or absence of a signal.

Solresol: an unusual idea of a musician

In the early nineteenth century, musician Francois Sydre from France shared with the public an unusual idea: he invented an artificial language, called solresol. His words, which were more than two and a half thousand, were recorded with the help of notes. It's hard to believe, but the idea, which at first was just a musical intellectual game, became popular. Language solresols gained fame among contemporaries, because notes are international symbols.