Signs and Differentiation:  jaL and paaNi in Gujarati

J.A.H.  Khatri

doi:10.35684/JLCI.2022.9106

Authors

J.A.H. Khatri School of Liberal Studies & Education, Navrachana University, Vadodara

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35684/JLCI.2022.9106

Keywords:

Representamen, Sign, prakāś, vimarś, manāskara, Object

Abstract

We live in a world of signs and we have very little comprehension of the world outside the semiotic systems that we are exposed to. Signs, in different ways of representing the world, makes us aware about the world around us. Bhartṛhari talks about two functions of the sign, namely identification (prakāś) and differentiation (vimarś). Here, the first function allows the user to identify the object in a system and the second one allows the user to differentiate the object from other objects in the system. But, at times, we may have the same object having multiple representamen. The present paper attempts to present one such case of the same object, namely ‘water’ represented in Gujarati by two linguistic signs – jaL and paaNi. The present paper will primarily deal with the first and the marked sign – jaL and how it is used in Gujarati Sign system. The paper attempts to identify various domains in which the marked sign is used, its interpretant and very specific cultural significance. The analysis of compounding consisting of this sign, and the phrases in which this sign appears is offered. An attempt is made to understand the distinctive features and culturally and socially domain specific meaning through this semiotic investigation.

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Author Biography

J.A.H. Khatri, School of Liberal Studies & Education, Navrachana University, Vadodara

Dr. Khatri is presently working as an Assistant Professor at Navrachana University, where he teaches Communication Theory, Media Semiotics, and Film Studies. His PhD is from Gujarat University on the topic, “Language in Media: A Semiotic Analysis of Advertisements in Print Media.” He has a Masters in Linguistics from The M.S. University of Baroda, Vadodara, and Bachelors in English Literature from Gujarat University. He has more than 15 years of teaching experience in core and applied linguistics and communication theory. His areas of interests are Semiotics, Language and Representation, and Linguistic Anthropology.