Most women stabilize any water retention weight within a few months. However, if weight gain is excessive, check with your doctor to make sure hormone and blood sugar levels are normal, as excessive abdominal fat increases the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure.
Semiotics is the study of signs. In language, signs are part of the existing structure that we use to communicate. That structure is called la langue. Each sign is made up of the signifier (the word) and the signified (the concept).
Communication theorists examine messages from a semiotic perspective (the study of signs and symbols, and how meaning is created through them; note: it is not the study of meaning, just how meaning is created). For example, a commencement speaker produces meaning through several criteria.