Void of sign
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Kumiko Tanaka-Ishii
Abstract
This article examines the concept of void with the question of whether the concept forms a sign. A void in this article is defined as a spatio-temporal empty space existing in a representation. The aim of the analysis is to consider the hidden nature of signs, which cannot be highlighted only through an analysis of typical signs within social convention. As a semiotic tool to conduct the discussion, the notion of a zero sign of Lévi-Strauss is introduced. The article considers all possible zeros that can exist within the Saussurian sign model and introduces three cases: an omitted sign, an ambiguous signified, and an ambiguous sign. After examining the features of each kind, the concept of void is considered in these terms, with the conclusion that it belongs to the ambiguous sign case. Analysis of void with respect to the zero sign highlights the nature of signs as being reflexive, holistic and speculative. Because the signifier is barely delimited, it influences the surrounding sign systems, including the one existing at the meta-level. An ambiguous sign is deemed to allow for concept sharing among people even when the signifier and the signified remain ambiguous.
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Articles in the same Issue
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Stroke systems in Chinese characters: A systemic functional perspective on simplified regular script
- Staying over-optimistic about the future: Uncovering attentional biases to climate change messages
- The embodiment of connotations: A proposed model
- The semiotic abstraction
- Analyzing the fictional worlds of Pixar with an eye on digital humanities
- Void of sign
- Towards a dynamic model of the sign
- Toy stories: On the disciplinary regime of vibration
- 3D printing: Of signs and objects
