The American Journal of Semiotics

Volume 22, Issue 1/4, 2006

Floyd Merrell
Pages 3-26

Chewing Gum, Ambulating, and Signing, all at the Same Time
Or, The Magical Number Three

The nature of the Peircean sign is considered in light of a nonlinear, complemented, context dependent lattice, with particular focus on how the lattice: (1) reveals the function of distinctions between signs, (2) supports Peirce’s triadic notion of semiosis, (3) models the notion of signs incessantly becoming other signs, (4) takes its leave of classical logical principles, and (5) accounts for the emergence of novelty — spontaneous, fresh, unique signs.