Sign relational complex

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Semiotics/Semeiotics
General concepts
Biosemiotics · Code
Computational semiotics
Connotation · Decode
Denotation · Encode
Lexical · Modality
Salience · Sign
Sign relation · Sign relational complex
Semiosis · Semiosphere
Semiotic literary criticism
Triadic relation
Umwelt · Value
Methods
Commutation test Paradigmatic analysis Syntagmatic analysis
Semioticians
Roland Barthes · Marcel Danesi
Ferdinand de Saussure
Umberto Eco · Louis Hjelmslev
Roman Jakobson · Roberta Kevelson
Charles Peirce · Thomas Sebeok
Topics of interest
Aestheticization as propaganda Aestheticization of violence Americanism
Semiotics of Ideal Beauty

In semiotics, a sign relational complex is a generalization of a sign relation that allows for empty components in the elementary sign relations, or sign relational triples of the form (object, sign, interpretant).

Generally speaking, when it comes to things that are being contemplated as ostensible or potential signs of other things, neither the existence nor the uniqueness of the elements appearing in the sign relation is guaranteed. For example, the reference of a putative sign to its putative objects may actually achieve reference to zero, to one, or to many objects. A proper treatment of this complication calls for the conception of something slightly more general than a sign relation proper, namely, a sign relational complex. In effect, expressed in the roughest practical terms, this allows for missing data in the columns of the relational database table for the sign relation in question. Typically one operates on the default assumption that all of the roles of elementary sign relations are actually filled, but remains wary enough of the possible exceptions to deal with them on an ad hoc basis.