Marcel Danesi (born 1946) is Professor of

Semiotics Semiotics ( ) is the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning. In semiotics, a sign is defined as anything that communicates intentional and unintentional meaning or feelings to the sign's interpreter. Semiosis is a ...

and

Linguistic Anthropology Linguistic anthropology is the interdisciplinary study of how language influences social life. It is a branch of anthropology that originated from the endeavor to document endangered languages and has grown over the past century to encompass mo ...

at the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public university, public research university whose main campus is located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park (Toronto), Queen's Park in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was founded by ...

. He is known for his work in

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

communication Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

s and

semiotics Semiotics ( ) is the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning. In semiotics, a sign is defined as anything that communicates intentional and unintentional meaning or feelings to the sign's interpreter. Semiosis is a ...

and is Director of the program in semiotics and

communication theory Communication theory is a proposed description of communication phenomena, the relationships among them, a storyline describing these relationships, and an argument for these three elements. Communication theory provides a way of talking about a ...

. He has also held positions at

Rutgers University Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's C ...

(1972), University of Rome "La Sapienza" (1988), the Catholic University of Milan (1990) and the

University of Lugano A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

. He is the

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

of ''Semiotica'', the official journal of the

International Association for Semiotic Studies International Association for Semiotic Studies (''Association Internationale de Sémiotique'', IASS-AIS) is the major world organisation of semioticians, established in 1969. Founding members of the association include Algirdas Julien Greimas, Rom ...

, and is a past-president of the

Semiotic Society of America The Semiotic Society of America is the major and leading semiotics organization in North America, serving scholars from many disciplines with common interests in semiotics, the study of signs and sign systems. It was founded in 1975. Its official j ...

. Danesi regularly contributes to global discussions on semiotics and human behaviors with appearances including a discussion on kissing on ''The Deep Cover Show with Damien Dynan'' and the origins of puzzles in ''Best Health'' magazine.

Publications

Danesi is the author of several books and his work has been featured in a range of mainstream publications such as ''The New York Times'', ''The Guardian'' and ''The Globe and Mail''. His 2016 book, ''The Semiotics of Emoji'', traces the use of emoji back to its anthropological and sociological roots. Reviewing the book in the journal ''Semiotica'' (of which Danesi himself has been editor-in-chief since 2004), Omonpee W. Petcoff wrote, "The author purposefully and masterfully presents semiotics principles and pedagogy in non-technical terms. The outcome is a text that, while rich in semiotics fundamentals and terminology, is also inviting, engaging, and, accordingly, accessible to diverse readers." In 2017, ''The Semiotics of Emoji'' was one of four books shortlisted for the annual

British Association for Applied Linguistics The British Association for Applied Linguistics (BAAL) is a learned society, based in the UK, which provides a forum for people interested in language and applied linguistics. BAAL organises regular meetings of its members at various venues in ...

Book Prize. However, the book was found to be "riddled with elementary errors" and "shoddy citation practices" according to Internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch's review in the '' Canadian Journal of Linguistics''. The details of her analysis are publicly available in the ''Twitter'' thread review she posted on her account in August 2018, on which the journal review was based.

Bibliography

Selected publications: * 1993 ''Vico, Metaphor, and the Origin of Language'', Indiana University Press * 2004 ''Messages, Signs, and Meanings: A Basic Textbook in Semiotics and Communication'', 3rd ed. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press * 2007 ''The Quest for Meaning: A Guide to Semiotic Theory and Practice'', Toronto: University of Toronto Press * 2008 ''Why It Sells: Decoding the Meanings of Brand Names, Logos, Ads, and Other Marketing and Advertising Ploys'', Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield * 2013 ''Signs of Crime: Introduction to Forensic Semiotics'', Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter * 2013 ''The History of the Kiss: The Birth of Popular Culture'', New York: Palgrave-Macmillan * 2013 ''Discovery in Mathematics: An Interdisciplinary Approach'', Munich: Lincom Europa * 2013 (with Antonio Nicaso) ''Made Men: Mafia Culture and the Power of Symbols and Ritual'', Rowman & Littlefield * 2013 ''Encyclopedia of Media and Communication'', University of Toronto Press * 2015 ''Popular Culture: Introductory Perspectives'', 3rd ed. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield. Pp. xi, 330 * 2016 ''The Semiotics of Emoji: The Rise of Visual Language in the Age of the Internet'', Bloomsbury Academic * 2020 "Pi (π)" in ''Nature, Art, and Culture'', Brill

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Danesi, Marcel Italian semioticians Academic staff of the Sapienza University of Rome Academic staff of the University of Toronto Academic staff of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Academic staff of the Università della Svizzera italiana 1946 births Living people Communication theorists Place of birth missing (living people) Presidents of the Semiotic Society of America