Symbol
The word symbol emerged in late Middle French around 1380 as a theological term within the Roman Catholic Church. It originally signified a formula used as a synonym for 'the credo'. By the early Renaissance, the meaning expanded to include 'a maxim' or 'the external sign of a sacrament'. These specific religious definitions eventually faded from secular usage during the mid-16th century. François Rabelais recorded this shift in his work Le Quart Livre published in 1552. The modern dominant meaning describes a natural fact evoking an association with something abstract. This evolution traces back to Latin roots where the noun referred to a mark or sign serving as recognition. Classical practice involved breaking ceramic pieces into two halves to verify messages between sender and receiver. When the halves fit perfectly, the message was deemed genuine. English first recorded the meaning 'something which stands for something else' in 1590 within Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene.
Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung proposed a distinction between signs and symbols that reshaped academic understanding. He defined a sign as standing for something known like a word representing its referent. In contrast, he described a symbol as something unknown that cannot be made clear or precise. An example he provided is Christ acting as a symbol of the archetype called self. Semiotics studies focus on the relationship between the signifier and the signified while accounting for cultural interpretation. Visual cues, body language, sound, and contextual clues all factor into how meaning forms. Symbols can cause confusion when translation occurs between source and target languages. A survey error documented shows the letter x denoting yes in English but usually meaning no in Chinese conventions. The human brain continuously creates meaning using sensory input to decode these signals through both denotation and connotation.
Kenneth Burke described Homo sapiens as a symbol-using animal capable of creating and misusing symbols. He illustrated misuse with a story about a man who refused whale blubber until learning it was actually dumpling. His reaction stemmed from the symbol of blubber representing something inedible within his mind. Sigmund Freud's work on condensation and displacement further influenced theories regarding normal symbol systems. Jean Dalby Clift argues people create personal symbols she calls core images representing their own life understanding. These core images function similarly to dream symbols used in psychoanalysis or counseling contexts. William Indick suggests common mythological figures like the hero or the witch fulfill psychological functions over centuries. Such archetypes remain popular because they satisfy deep psychological needs found in legend and fantasy literature. People add their own interpretations to symbols while simultaneously creating new ones that reflect personal experiences.
Mapmakers organize collections of symbols to form legends communicating geographical information across point line or area features. Visual variables including size shape orientation texture and pattern provide specific meaning to each mark. Pictorial symbols appear as generalized versions of real-world features like tree icons representing forests. Functional symbols directly depict activities occurring at the represented feature such as a skier picture showing a resort. Conceptual symbols relate to concepts connected to the feature like dollar signs marking ATMs. Conventional symbols lack intuitive relationships but become recognizable through common usage over time. Abstract geometric shapes are arbitrary choices made by cartographers to represent certain features. Map users read these symbols when connecting graphic marks on paper to general concepts and real world features.
Paul Tillich argued that while signs are invented and forgotten, symbols are born and die. Living symbols reveal hidden levels of meaning and transcendent realities to individuals experiencing them. When a symbol loses its power for an individual it becomes dead and ceases to function effectively. Historical events modify how people perceive a particular symbol's apparent meaning today. Similar five-pointed stars might signify law enforcement officers depending upon the uniform worn during display. Context changes meaning just as history alters perception of emotive power carried by symbols. False etymologies often create problems analogous to those found in historical misinterpretations. The history of a symbol remains one factor among many determining current understanding within society.
Common questions
When did the word symbol emerge in late Middle French?
The word symbol emerged in late Middle French around 1380 as a theological term within the Roman Catholic Church. It originally signified a formula used as a synonym for the credo.
What year did François Rabelais record the shift of symbol from religious to secular usage?
François Rabelais recorded this shift in his work Le Quart Livre published in 1552. These specific religious definitions eventually faded from secular usage during the mid-16th century.
How did Carl Jung define the difference between signs and symbols?
Carl Jung defined a sign as standing for something known like a word representing its referent. He described a symbol as something unknown that cannot be made clear or precise.
In what year was English first recorded using the meaning something which stands for something else?
English first recorded the meaning something which stands for something else in 1590 within Edmund Spenser's Faerie Queene. This marks the transition to modern dominant meanings describing natural facts evoking associations with abstract concepts.
Why do false etymologies create problems in understanding symbols today?
False etymologies often create problems analogous to those found in historical misinterpretations. The history of a symbol remains one factor among many determining current understanding within society.