Semeiotics
/ˌsiː.miˈɒt.ɪks/noun
The study of signs, symbols, and how they create or communicate meaning.
Did you know?John Locke called the study of signs “semeiotike” in 1690 and proposed it as one of the three great branches of human knowledge.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sēm-
“A sign or mark; the reconstructed root behind later Greek words for signs and tokens.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sēma (σῆμα)
“A sign, mark, token, signal, or tomb-marker.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sēmeion (σημεῖον)
“A sign, indication, or omen—something interpreted as pointing to another meaning.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
sēmeiōtikos (σημειωτικός)
“Pertaining to signs; observant of signs or skilled in interpreting them.”
17th Century
English
semeiotics
“The doctrine or study of signs, introduced into English philosophical vocabulary.”
Modern English
English
semeiotics
“A scholarly variant of semiotics: the systematic study of signs and signification.”