On the blankness of blank-signs

Abstract

Abstract As one indispensable part of signs, blank-sign, also called zero sign or the void of sign, has not been given enough or due attention in semiotics. What is worse is that researchers have not reached agreement on some basic issues in blank-signs, such as the nature of the absence of the signifier, the criteria for identifying blank-signs, the scope of the blank-sign research, etc. These questions are of vital importance for more comprehensive exploration of the blank-sign issue. After analyzing three types of blank-signs, the paper concludes that: (1) In blank-signs, both signifier and signified must be present. The so-called “absent signifier” actually means the absence of the representation of the signifier, and the “absent signified” suggests some unspecified meanings; (2) Being a blank-sign is a matter of degree, with the typical blank-signs having a closed borderline, and the atypical ones a partial borderline; (3) Neighboring substantial context and general context (intentions of the sign-maker) are crucial for determining the status of a blank-sign.