Denotative and Connotative System
and the meaning or usually called signified and signifier, while in connotative has elaborated from signified and signifier E and in metalanguage has elaborated
from significance of denotative meaning C. We can conclude that connotative and metalanguage is elaborate from denotative system.
10
Piliang said that denotation was the step of sign which explained the relation between signifier said signified, or between sign and relation with the
realities which produce explicate meaning, directly, and surely.
11
Denotative meaning in this case is the meaning that appear at the thing it’s self. For example
the picture of Suharto face, it means that the denotative meaning is the real face of Suharto. Simply that denotation is sign which the signifier has high convents or
high agreement. While connotation is the step of signified and signifier which has not explicate meaning, indirectly, unsurely, it means that still open with the other
meaning. He made second level meaning that formed when signified connected to many aspects such us; psychology, feeling, emotion, and belief. Like the picture
of Suharto, the denotative meaning is like described above, but in connotative meaning it can be has other meaning. It can become connotation with president.
Connotation can produce the meaning in the second level which is implicitly and hidden.
More detail, Chris Barker explains that denotation is meaning level of descriptive or literally. In the second level is connotation, meaning is formed
which connect to signified with cultural aspects in wider; belief, framework, and
10
Roland Barthes, Mitologi, Jogjakarta: Kreasi wacana, 2009 p. 158.
11
Tommy Christomy, Semiotika Budaya, Depok: PPKB Universitas Indonesia, 2004 p. 94.
ideology a formed social. The meaning of signified can manifold, if sniggle meaning is accompanied with layered meanings. When connotation is made by
natural as something hegemonic. It means that cultural contract is going to be the universal truth.
12
Connotation which has sure meaning can develop to be myths; the hidden meaning consciously agreed by community. myth that high belief can be
developed into an ideology it’s self.
13
According to Barthes, in the level of denotation, language presents convention or codes of society that are explicitly. It
means that appear codes is based fro relation signified and signifier. Otherwise, in the connotation level, language presents codes these are implicit. It means that
system of codes that contain hidden meanings. Barthes has opinion that hidden meaning is an area of ideology or mythology.
14
Barthes claims that myths is a second list of semiological system or metalanguage. Myths is second language that talk about language in first level
signified and signifier. Myths make world perception seems undeniable natural or destined for God. Myth tasked with providing scientific justification for
historical purposes, and made unexpected events that seem immortal. More explanation about myth going to be explained in section.
The description of denotative and connotative meaning have been discussed above. The writer will explain in detail. The first step in social cultural
12
Chris Barker, Cultural Studies,Teori dan Praktik, Jogjakarta: Kreasi Wacana, 2009, p. 74.
13
Roland Barthes, op. cit. p. 109.
14
Tommy Christomy, Op. Cit., p. 94.
life, sign users define a sign just as denotation meaning, meaning of a sign as common sign, and it is being caught by senses of sign users at the first time which
is R
1
between E
1
and C
1
.
15
Denotation is what is exactly shown the level of explaining the relation R
1
between signifierE
1
and signifiedC
1
or it is a sign in which refers to a reality. It would produce the meaning explicit, and direct as
social convention. For example, an image photo of my face on Senior High School Certificate signifier E
1
is in relation to R
1
what I look like in real life now signified C
1
. So that, denotation is a simple sign signifier in related to signified, the real meaning of a sign in which the signifier has the level of social
convention and Barthes stated that this is as primary sign system. But in case, how if a sign interacts with emotional, gender psychological,
belief, and cultural of sign users. It is used by sign users to mean a sign to get meaning, a subjective meaning of sign users. Barthes said that it is the secondary
sign system which getting meaning or interpreting a sign as more complex which called connotation meaning.
Based on sign users, the relation R between in the context E
1
– R
1
– C
1
primary sign system will push to the extension of secondary sign system which is E
2
– R
2
– C
2
. And Barthes added that secondary sign system has two orientations. They orient to the extension of expression and the extension of
contentconcept. The first which is the extension of expression, E
2
= E
1
– R
1
– C
1
– R
2
– C
2
is called metalanguage and the second is connotation, E
2
– R
2
– C
2
= E
1
– R
1
– C
1
. Secondary sign system which orients to signifierexpression E is the
15
Benny H. Hoed, Op. Cit., p. 84.
extension of signifier expressionE
2
, but to the contentconceptsignified C
2
is not changed. Barthes stated that it is metalanguage which the process of relation
R between E and C is informed by using the difference expression E.
16
Image : Metalanguage
Metalanguage Primary System
Source: Barthes 1967
For example the word women, this word has signed the word of women E1 as expression, in relation to R1 the real women as content C1. This word
is extended and related R2 to be the other kinds of women such as Mrs., Madam, Girl and Female as the expression E2, but the content is same, the definition of
women C2. This system is oriented to the extension of expressionsignifier E2 which is called Metalanguage. It can be described as scheme below:
Metalanguage Primay system
Source: Barthes 1967 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
16
Ibid., p. 158.
E2 Signifier R2 C2 Signified E1 Signifier R1 C1 Signified
E2Mrs,Madam R2 C2 Signified The definition of Girl and Fimale women
E1 The word C1 The real Of women R1 women in reality
signifiedcontent contenuC2. But the signifierexpression E2 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.
The second system is also evolving towards C content. For example Pondok Indah. In the first system, Pondok Indah means an area in Central Jakarta.
In the second system, which is not explained what it is about Pondok Indah, but other meaning given to that region. According to Barthes, the other meaning is
called connotation. Connotation given to the name of the region varies depending on the views and experiences of people who give the other meaning. Pondok
Indah can have the connotation of “regional elite people”, “area of residence of reach people”, “area of residence several artists in Indonesia”, “area that many
large houses built luxury and magnificent”.
17
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.
17
Benny H. Hoed, Lock Cit., p. 53.
Image: Connotation
Connotation Sign System
Connotation Primary sign system
Source : Barthes 1964
For example back to the word women, this word is extended and related R
2
to be the other description of women such as sexy, pretty and beautiful person or as complex description like graceful, sexy-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 example table formula above, here is the scheme:
Secondary Signsystem
Connotation Primary
sign system
Source : Barthes 1964
Other explanations about connotative according to Gorys Keraf. Generally, the meaning has two basic types. The meanings are denotative and
connotative. The explanation is as follows:
E2signifier R2 C2 Signified E1 signifier R1 C1 signified
E2the definition of women R2 C2 Beautiful, sexy, pretty, graceful
E1 The word C1 The real Of women R1 women
a. Denotative Meaning
Denotative meaning is also called in some other terms such as: denotation meaning, cognitive meaning, conceptual meaning, ideational
meaning, referential meaning, or propositional meaning. It is called denotation meaning, conceptual, ideational, or referential, because it
denotes to a referent, concept, or idea of a referents. Moreover, it called cognitive meaning because the meaning is related to the awareness or
knowledge; stimulus speaker and response listener about the things that can be absorbed by the senses consciousness and the ratio of
humans. And this meaning is also called propositional meaning because the meaning is related to the information or statements that are factual.
This meaning, which is referred to by various names, is the most basic meaning of the word.
b. Connotative Meaning
Connotations or connotative meaning is also called connotation meaning, emotive meaning, or evaluative meaning. Connotative
meaning is a kind of meaning in which the stimulus and response contains emotional values. Connotative meaning occurs partly because
the speaker wants to create a feeling of agree - disagree, happy - not
happy and others to the listener; On the other hand, the selected words shows that the speaker is also harbored the same feelings.
18
In Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, connotation is an idea suggested by a word in addition to its main meaning.
19
Furthermore, Leech in the book of Semantics, has the opinion about connotative, connotative meaning is the
communicative value an expression has by virtue of what it refers to, over and above its purely conceptual content.
20
In other sides, Kreidler has the opinion about denotation and connotation. A denotation identifies the central aspect of word meaning. And connotation
refers to the personal aspect of meaning, the emotional associations that the word arouses. Connotations vary according to the experience of individuals but,
because people do have common experiences, some words have shared connotations.
21
According to Christomy, The interpretation I developed from Pierce theory from a signification can be a new sign S in the next or continue sign. That
new sign has object and has a new interpretation again. The new interpretation will be have a new sign again and so on.
22
This process of signification can be continuing according to experience and knowledge someone. The process from
Christomy is described as follow:
18
Keraf, Op. Cit., p. 27.
19
Hornby, Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary 6
th
Ed, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000, p. 275.
20
Geoffrey Leech, Semantics, New Zealand: Penguin Books, 1974, p. 14.
21
Charles
W. Kreidler, Introducing English Semantics, New York: Routledge, 1998, p. 45.
22
Tommy Christomy, Op. Cit., 129.
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.