Semeiotic is a term used by Charles Sanders Peirce to distinguish his theory of sign relations from other approaches to the same subject matter.

Triadic relations

Sign relations

Types of signs

There are three principal ways that a sign can denote its objects. These are usually described as kinds, species, or types of signs, but it needs to be understood that the same thing can be a sign in different ways.

Beginning very roughly, the three main ways of being a sign can be described as follows:

• An icon is a sign that denotes its objects by virtue of a quality that it shares with its objects.

• An index is a sign that denotes its objects by virtue of an existential connection that it has with its objects.

• A symbol is a sign that denotes its objects solely by virtue of the fact that it is interpreted to do so.

See also

• Charles Peirce (Bibliography)
• Logic of information
• Logic of relatives
• Relation
• Semiosis

• Semiotics
• Semiotic information theory
• Sign
• Sign relation
• Triadic relation

External links

• Bergman & Paavola (eds.), Commens Dictionary of Peirce's Terms, Webpage
  • Semeiotic
  • Icon
  • Index
  • Symbol

Semiotics