Metalanguage and Connotation Roland Barthes
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In addition, sign users as subjective position also want to extent to the secondary sign system which orients to the contentconcept C is the
extension of signifiedcontent contenuC
2
. But the signifierexpression E
2
is not changed. This is called as connotation. Connotation is a process of the relation R between E and C that is interpreted by sign users to
develop the content, concept, signified C. Image: Connotation
E
2
signifier C
2
signified E
1
signifier C
1
signified
Source: Barthes 1964
Fo r example back to the word “women”, this word is extended and
related R
2
to be the other description of women such as sexy and beautiful person or as complex description like dependent person,
powerless or sexual-object; it is as the extension of contentsignified C
2
. But in other side, the expression is same, the definition word of women
E
2
. In this case, what has explained is the extension of contentsignified C
2
, but the expressionsignifier is not changed and Barthes called this extension as connotation.
To paint the example above, here is the scheme: R
2
R
1
Secondary sign system
Connotation Primary sign
system
27
E
2
The definition of women C
2
Beautiful, sexy, dependent
person, sexual- object
E
1
The word of women
C
1
The real women
Source: Barthes 1964
But how if a connotation stays in for long time?, In Mythologies 1957, Barthes based on sign users argued that a connotation could
dominate a society. For example, it would be handled by major community who wants
to give “some connotation negative or positive” to minor community, in order to be a myth concept for long time. Myth is
produced by major community to minor community or on the contrary via a connotation process that given.