Dallen Fletcher 9/11/2013 Comm 1050 L.

Jay Williams Omne Ignotum Pro Magnifico Perhaps without realizing it, we feel the effects of semiotics each and every day. It is continually found in our books, movies, radio programs, and advertisements. Semiotics, or the interpretation and usage if signs and symbols, is an invaluable tool that is a cornerstone for all forms of communication. We often times do not realize or even understand that we live in a world that is completely submerged in a sea of symbols. We use symbols to communicate, to signal our affections or emotions, and to deduce meaning or answers to complex social, personal, or academic problems. In order to appreciate semiotics, we must begin to understand where it comes from, the actual structure and types of symbols, and how these symbols impacts our society each and every day. Who discovered semiotics? For as long as humans (and animals for that matter) have had the ability to perceive and manipulate the world around them, semiotics has existed. A primitive hunting party may have studied the tracks of the animals they were hunting. How did they know that the pattern of an imprint in the earth meant that an opportunity for food was nearby? Tracks in the dirt were a sign. The members of this party understood that the hooves of deer, elk, or buffalo made unique and distinct imprints in the ground. Likewise certain symbols can also indicate danger nearby. A hunting party would surely have the ability to recognize the signs of a nearby mountain lion or bear by studying the droppings, tracks, and other changes these animals made in the environment around them.
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The animal kingdom is full of signs and symbols. The lion fish is an excellent example of an animal that exhibits signs. It is covered with brightly colored red and white stripes, and many long venom filled spines that clearly say danger to any other fish or predator in the vicinity. These signs afford the lion fish a measure of safety in a relentlessly unforgiving sea. It is clear that signs and symbols have existed for an immeasurable amount of time. But when did we as human beings begin to recognize them as such? Genesis 1:14 says, And God said, let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years. So in the Christian tradition, the concept of signs dates back to the time that God created the earth. So by the time Moses penned the words we read in Genesis, signs were an effective tool for communication. In ages past men looked to the stars to guide them across the sea, and to measure the length of days, months, and years. With the stars being so crucially important to Christians and non-Christians alike, is it any wonder that the instruction to look to the stars culminates with the account we read in St Matthew 2:1-2 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. Could it be that these men were wise because they saw the sign and understood what it meant, while millions of people around them simply wondered at it (the star) or didnt notice it at all?

It wasnt until the 17th century that the universities began to study the structure and application of signs as an integral part of our everyday existence. Fast forward even further and we learn of a man who some consider the pioneer in understanding semiotics. Roland Barthes was born November 12, 1915 in France. His biography states that he was a literary philosopher and helped establish structuralism as one of the leading intellectual movements of the 20th century. He isnt merely an authoritative figure, he is the authoritative figure in the pioneering of semiotic structure. According to Barthes, a sign is a combination of both the signified, and the signifier. Em Griffin in his book, A First Look at Communication Theory, defines a signifier as: The physical form of the sign as we perceive it through our senses; an image. Signified relates to the meaning that we associate with the sign. Because we are all different, the interpretation of any given sign can be vastly different from person to person. An American philosopher, Charles Sanders Pierce developed three applicable categories for signs to be sorted into: Symbolic, Iconic, and Indexical. Symbolic signs tend to have nothing to do with the signifier they represent. For example, the biohazard symbol has no actual connection to biohazard waste products. The meaning of the biohazard symbol must be directly explained to us before we can hope to understand what it means. Secondly, Iconic signs seem resemble the signifiers they attempt to portray. Some excellent examples of these would include hazard or caution
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signs commonly posted on construction sites or around heavy machinery. An image with some sort of illustrated figure having their fingers pinched off is a very good example of a sign that needs no explanation. Most people should be able to deduce the meaning of these kinds of signs. Finally the third category is the Indexical Sign. These types of signs indicate or point to the object they refer to. Indexical signs are the cornerstone of all who-dun-it type murder mysteries. One of the very best examples of this can be found in each and every Sherlock Holmes mystery that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote. Consequently the Sherlock Holmes character has been portrayed on film dozens of times, and while completely fictional, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson have been a symbol of British national pride for over a hundred years. In the 198485 Granada Television Series, Sherlock Holmes ( played by Jeremy Brett), and his faithful companion Dr. Watson solve mysteries through the process of deduction. They find clues that always seem to be inconsequential, but inevitably they point to true solution. These are an excellent example of Indexical signs. In the mystery of The Red Headed League, a man named Jabez Wilson comes to Holmes for help. Holmes invites the man to sit down and then immediately states that Jabez has done manual labor at some point in his life, he takes snuff, has been to China, and that he has done a considerable amount of writing lately. Jabez, completely floored then asks Holmes how he could possibly know all that. Holmes then explains point by point his reasoning. He deduces who many of his clients are before they themselves have a chance to tell him. He sees the subtle signs that

reveal many important things. He sees what others do not see. Once Holmes has completely explained each sign deduced, Jabez exclaimes, I thought at first it was something clever, but now I see theres nothing in it after all. To which Holmes then replies, Omne ignotum pro magnifico. Loosely translated, this means: Everything becomes commonplace by explanation. Indeed the ability to recognize a sign is in every way as important as being able to correctly interpret its meaning. Sherlock Holmes is a master in the interpretation of semiotics. Each of us must also attempt to interpret the many thousands of signs and symbols that encompass us each and every day. When we recognize some element of our surroundings as a symbol, we can then begin to examine the many aspects of its meaning. This has become a delightful new exercise for me as I have discovered an entirely new layer of life and perspective that can be seen with even the smallest degree of effort.

Bibliography Doyle, Arthur Conan, Sir. "The Read-headed League." Sherlock Holmes. BBC Granada Television. 1985. Television. Genesis. Holy Bible King James Version. Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints, 12/2006. Print. Griffin, Emory A. "Chapter 26: Semiotics." A First Look at Communication Theory. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2009. 341. Print.

Matthew. Holy Bible King James Version. Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints, 12/2006. Print. "Roland Barthes." 2013. The Biography Channel website. Sep 12 2013, 12:24 http://www.biography.com/people/roland-barthes-36995. "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes." IMDb. IMDb.com, 1990. Web. 12 Sept. 2013.