The dāll is the sign that directs the mind, while the madlūl is what it signifies. Confusing the two makes classification unreliable.
Example 1: The word “Zayd” is the sign; the person named is the signified.
Example 2: Smoke is the sign; the inferred fire is the signified.
Example 3: A standardized road sign is the sign; its agreed instruction is the signified.
Ask two questions: What is being perceived as a sign, and what does it lead us to know?
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Six Kinds of Signification and the Three Modes of Verbal Convention
The dāll is the sign that directs the mind, while the madlūl is what it signifies. Confusing the two makes classification unreliable.
Example 1: The word “Zayd” is the sign; the person named is the signified.
Example 2: Smoke is the sign; the inferred fire is the signified.
Example 3: A standardized road sign is the sign; its agreed instruction is the signified.
Ask two questions: What is being perceived as a sign, and what does it lead us to know?