The semiotic perpetuum mobile in action: OMON, homonyms and antonyms

Abstract

We address the interaction of various interpretations of lexical items, which leads to a change in the correlation between signifieds and signifiers and the formation of new signs. Addressing the polysemic slogan ‘ОМОН-И-МЫ — АНТОНИМЫ’, we explicate the mechanism of semiotic Perpetuum mobile, that is, the cyclic recursions that allow simultane­ous actualization of various interpretations of this utterance. We demonstrate that the analy­sis of semantic relations in their dynamics requires the introduction of new theoretical con­cepts. The general principle of dynamic semiosis is demonstrated — that is the recursive rela­tions when a signified of one sign through intermediate operations (homonymy and synony­my) becomes a signifier of another and vice versa. In this semantic Perpetuum mobile, no single interpretation reaches the final point. It goes back to the previous state without produc­ing new meanings and signs but repeating the already passed cycle. Each of the co-existing interpretations returns to itself, demonstrating — in a paradoxical and tautological way — Luhman’s concept of paradox and tautology as two only possible states of a self-describing system. The same process, but being considered from the starting point demonstrates the par­adoxicality and tautology of the process of signification.

Keywords

• dynamic semiosis
• homonymy
• antonymy
• synonymy
• recursion
• polysemy