Semiotic square

According to Saussure 'il n'y a de sens que dans la difference' and according to Hjelmslev language is fundamentally a system of relationships rather than signs. Thus, in the analysis of meaning, semiotics proceeds from the recognition of differences to the definition of the relationships underpinning them. In the event, the semiotic square is no more than a visual representation of the elementary structure of meaning. It is the logical expression of any semantic category. This elementary structure is defined by three relationships:

Opposition or contrariety. Meaning is viewed essentially as a product of opposition: there can be no 'up' without 'down', no 'good' without 'evil'. In order to be in opposition or in a relationship of contrariety, two terms (frequently referred to as SI and S2) must have a feature in common, e.g. 'hot' and 'cold' have the notion of temperature in common: temperature here is known as the complex term. 'High' and 'low' have the notion of verticality in common, their complex term is verticality. SI, therefore, presupposes the existence ofS2.

Contradiction. In order to move from SI to S2 you must first of all negate SI (written —SI). If you want to go from 'high' to 'low', for instance, you must move via 'non-high'. 'Non-high' ( — 51), then, becomes the contradictory term. If SI is 'good', then —SI is 'non good'. If S2 is 'evil', — S2 is 'non-evil'.

The third relationship which seals the square is one of implication or complementarity. This is built on the connection between a term and the negation of its opposite: 'good' implies 'non-evil', 'high' implies 'non-low'. It is equivalent to the act of assertion, demonstrating the coherence of meaning. For if 'good' does not imply 'non-evil', then our original pair 'good/evil' with their contradictories belong to different semantic categories. SI and — S2 or S2 and —SI are therefore defined as complementary terms.

The semiotic square can be used as a tool in the analysis not only of individual semantic concepts but also of longer units of meaning such as paragraphs or whole texts. In this case fundamental semantic oppositions underpinning the unit have to be extracted and placed in the positions of SI and S2.

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