Literary notes about SIGN (AI summary)
The word "sign" functions with a remarkable versatility in literature, often serving as a bridge between the literal and the symbolic. It may denote a tangible marker or emblem, such as a painted notice [1] or even a litmus of spatial boundaries [2], while at other times it conveys an abstract indicator of internal states—ranging from a subtle expression of discontent [3] to a gesture heralding urgency or respect [4] and even manifesting as an emblematic finality [5]. Additionally, "sign" is employed in more formal or technical contexts, designating quantities or grammatical structures [6], and in ritualistic displays that reflect deep cultural and religious connotations [7]. This layered usage enriches texts by inviting multiple interpretations and underscoring the complex interplay between form, meaning, and context.
- There was a great house with a sign painted thus, ‘The Home of the Blessed.’
— from Korean folk tales : by Pang Im and Yuk Yi - When the hut was ready, a sign was hung on the door whereon was written, "To-day given, to-morrow sold."
— from Household Tales by Brothers Grimm by Jacob Grimm and Wilhelm Grimm - I shook my head: it required a degree of courage, excited as he was becoming, even to risk that mute sign of dissent.
— from Jane Eyre: An Autobiography by Charlotte Brontë - He made the sign of the cross, rose, donned his hat once more, and said to Tristan,— “Be diligent, gossip.
— from Notre-Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo - Before you sign my death-warrant, be sure that you are yourself safe.”
— from Frankenstein; Or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley - Here we arrange thus:— “Some” Sign of Quantity .
— from Symbolic Logic by Lewis Carroll - “You say, you are a Protestant,” said the clerk; “make the sign of the cross with your finger, so, and swear upon it to that affirmation.”
— from The Adventures of Roderick Random by T. Smollett
