Symbols are characters, letters, numbers, icons, objects, people, actions, or places that stand for or represent something other than themselves. In the most general sense, a symbolic language (or system) is a set of symbols combined with the rules for their use in relation to one another. Human language is the most familiar and important symbol system. Beginning in childhood, individuals are taught how to use oral and written symbols (e.g., letters, numbers, words) and how to use these symbols to create messages that make human communication possible.

Systems of Symbols

Typically, a speaker or writer selects and uses specific symbols to create a message that will bring about a particular response among listeners or readers. Consider a simple communicative situation, such as when one person says, "Pass the sugar." Here, the letters "p," "a," "s," and "s," as well as the other letters in the phrase...