Blog Post 2

Blog Post 2

            Recently we learned about the 3 Orders of Signification which include: denotation, connotation, and myths. Denotation is the literal definition or dictionary meaning of a word. Connotation is the secondary meaning. Lastly, myths are the cultural value or beliefs that are expressed through connotation. Myth allows the connotative meaning of a something or an image to appear denotative, literal, or natural.

            First thing that comes to mind when I think of a myth is the phrase “knock on wood”. It’s been told that knocking on wood after saying something that may jinx yourself will not make it jinx you. I personally do this and have seen many people around me partake in this common myth. If wood is not nearby, some people may even knock on their head. The denotation of this phrase would be the act of knocking on wood without it meaning anything other than what you’re doing. The connotation would be the meaning some people know as preventing from jinxing yourself. Along with the myth of literally knocking on wood or your head. This phrase is monosemy which means it has multiple meanings. It’s interesting because the idea of jinxing yourself is also somewhat of a myth. The idea that just because you do something so simple, that it will automatically not happen. I don’t feel the universe takes our knocks on wood into consideration with how things happen, yet I still am guilty on knocking on wood or my head when I think about it possibly being jinxed by something.