Classification of sign types

Makeup

Makeup is a tool used by a vast amount of people for several reasons. Traditionally, makeup was used to cover imperfections and help make one seem more beautiful. Lipstick and makeup became a symbol of beauty and femineity. The word symbol can be described as a mode in which the signifier is connected to the object arbitrarily or purely through convention (this relationship must be learned.) Simply knowing what makeup is, is not enough to understand its original and traditional meaning as a symbol.

Punctuation

Punctuation is also a symbol used in most written languages. Punctuation is a vital part of our English language, but punctuation is a learned symbol. Because not all languages use punctuation or, use them differently, it is not universally understood. Punctuation is learned from a young age and exercised as one gets older. Going off of the definition from earlier; a symbol is when the signifier (reader) connects a meaning to an object or concept. In this case, the reader can connect excitement and enthusiasm through the use of an exclamation point. The reader can infer the abrupt ending of a sentence with a period. These practices are learned the same way the colors on a traffic light are learned.

Traffic Light

The colors on a traffic light might not be obvious to some, in a similar manner to punctuation. The colors on a traffic light might seem obvious to use given driving is practically mandatory in America, but the colors are not obvious to foreigners or people who don't drive. Of course, colors don't hold physical or literal meaning, but they imply meaning. The colors on a traffic light are to be learned as symbols.