Today's Word "semiotics"
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Published in Vocabulary
semiotics \se-mi-AH-diks\ (noun) - The study of signs and symbols or the interpretation of something as symbols. It may also refer to medical symptoms or the study thereof.
"You have to know the semiotics of the boss's clothes: a dark tie means he is in a bad mood; a light-colored tie means he is happy, and an open collar means he is relaxed enough to discuss a raise with you."
Today's word comes from the adjective "semiotic" borrowed from Greek semeitikos "significant" from semeioun "to signal," a verb based on the noun sema "sign." The same root appears in "semantics" and "semaphore" but tracing it to roots elsewhere in Indo-European languages proves difficult.
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