Semeia

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A mark or sign used to indicate meaning or significance in language or symbolism ; a distinctive symbol conveying specific information ; a pointer or signal denoting a particular concept or idea
2. A linguistic or symbolic indicator that represents meaning or directs attention ; a conventional mark serving as a communicative symbol ; a signifier used to convey particular significance within a system
3. An emblem or mark that denotes meaning in semiotics or communication ; a symbol employed to represent ideas or messages ; an observable indicator intended to impart information or guide interpretation

Etymology: "Semeia" is the plural of "semeion", a Greek noun meaning "a mark" or "sign". Its ancient Greek form, "sēmeîon", came from the word "sēma", "sign", and it was used broadly for anything that pointed beyond itself, from a physical marking to a portent or a token. The word passed into scholarly English through Greek-based vocabulary, where it sits comfortably alongside other classical terms for signs. Because the Greek noun is neuter, its plural ends in "-a", which is why English readers meet "semeia" rather than the "semeions" one might expect from a common English plural. The Greek plural form has been kept in technical use, so the word appears in specialist writing as a plural of a term for a sign or mark.

Synonyms: signs, symbols, indications, marks, signals