Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
A metalanguage describing written documents taken as an object-language would treat
the entire complex of signifier, sign, and signified as its signified.
Sign
Signifier
Signified
Metalanguage
Signifier-sign-signified
Object-language
This pattern might be known as a double articulation.
If the metalanguage were algorithmically generated from the object-language it
could contain the phrases, Mark Twain and Samuel Clemens, and search could be highly
specific (but could only link the two aspects of the single individual together by listing
those terms).
Signifier /
MarkTwain
Sign
Signified / Mark Twain
Metalanguage
Signifier-sign-signified /
The author Mark Twain
Object-language
Signifier /
Samuel
Clemens
Signified /
Samuel Clemens
Metalanguage
Sign
Signifier-sign-signified /
The private individual
Samuel Clemens
Object-language
If the metalanguage were purely humanly assigned (as would have been the case with
paper-based indexing), it might not distinguish between Mark Twain and Samuel
Clemens, but gather all occurrences of these terms under the heading, Mark Twain,
giving generic power in searching (but losing specificity).
Figure 9.1
Meta- and object-language.
