الأَوَّلُ هُوَ الدَّالُّ، وَالثَّانِي: الْمَدْلُولُ
The first is the indicator (dāll), and the second is what it indicates (madlūl).
The dāll is the expression, sign, or observable thing from which another meaning is learned. The madlūl is that inferred or understood meaning.
Example 1: In the spoken Arabic word “kitāb,” the utterance is the indicator; the concept of a book is what it indicates.
Example 2: Fresh footprints can indicate that someone passed by; the prints are the indicator and the passage is what they reveal.
The designation depends on the relationship under study. A thing may be indicated in one relationship and itself function as an indicator in another.