semiotics (or semiology) is a theoretical framework for the study of the meaning of language, signs and symbols. it was first developed in the early 20th century, separately, by the swiss ferdinand saussure and charles sanders peirce of the u.s.a. it can be described as both a science and a technique: a science because it has its own theories and a technique because it is a way of studying systems of representation and meaning. the meaning can be intentional such as a word uttered with a specific meaning, or unintentional, such as a symptom being a sign of a particular medical condition. signs can communicate through any of the senses, visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, or gustatory.