Allotopy
Encyclopedia
In a story
, we detect an allotopy when two basic meaning traits (seme
s) contradict each other, that is when they trace two incompatible interpretations. It was conceived as being the opposite of an isotopy
, which is the homogeinity resulting from repetition of the same seme. This concept has been coined in the 1970s by the Belgian semioticians known as Groupe µ
.
, introduced the concept of Allotopy. They first discussed the concept in publications like Isotopie et allotopie, Isotopie, allotopie et polytopie (1976), and A Rhetoric of Poetry (1977).
discussed the relation of allotopy to jokes and humor. Salvatore Attardo
, despite not using the term allotopy, formulated a theory of humor based on the idea of the "incompatible interpretations", called the isotopy-disjunction model. This is part of the broader idea of defining humor as based on contradiction
/incongruity.
Storytelling
Storytelling is the conveying of events in words, images and sounds, often by improvisation or embellishment. Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and in order to instill moral values...
, we detect an allotopy when two basic meaning traits (seme
Seme (semantics)
Seme, the smallest unit of meaning recognized in semantics, refers to a single characteristic of a sememe. These characteristics are defined according to the differences between sememes. The term was introduced by Eric Buyssens in the 1930s and developed by Bernard Pottier in the 1960s...
s) contradict each other, that is when they trace two incompatible interpretations. It was conceived as being the opposite of an isotopy
Isotopy (semiotics)
In a story, we detect an isotopy when there is a repetition of a basic meaning trait ; such repetition, establishing some level of familiarity within the story, allows for a uniform reading/interpretation of it. An example of a sentence containing an isotopy is I drink some water...
, which is the homogeinity resulting from repetition of the same seme. This concept has been coined in the 1970s by the Belgian semioticians known as Groupe µ
Groupe µ
Groupe µ is the collective pseudonym under which a group of Belgian 20th-century semioticians wrote a series of books, presenting an exposition of modern semiotics....
.
History
In the 1970, the Belgian semioticians known under the name Groupe µGroupe µ
Groupe µ is the collective pseudonym under which a group of Belgian 20th-century semioticians wrote a series of books, presenting an exposition of modern semiotics....
, introduced the concept of Allotopy. They first discussed the concept in publications like Isotopie et allotopie, Isotopie, allotopie et polytopie (1976), and A Rhetoric of Poetry (1977).
Allotopy and humor
Groupe µGroupe µ
Groupe µ is the collective pseudonym under which a group of Belgian 20th-century semioticians wrote a series of books, presenting an exposition of modern semiotics....
discussed the relation of allotopy to jokes and humor. Salvatore Attardo
Salvatore Attardo
Salvatore Attardo is a full professor at Texas A & M University-Commerce and the editor-in-chief of Humor, the journal for the International Society of Humor Research. He studied at Purdue University under Victor Raskin and extended Raskin's script-based semantic theory of humor into the general...
, despite not using the term allotopy, formulated a theory of humor based on the idea of the "incompatible interpretations", called the isotopy-disjunction model. This is part of the broader idea of defining humor as based on contradiction
Contradiction
In classical logic, a contradiction consists of a logical incompatibility between two or more propositions. It occurs when the propositions, taken together, yield two conclusions which form the logical, usually opposite inversions of each other...
/incongruity.
Further reading
- KlinkenbergKlinkenbergKlinkenberg is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Buren, and lies about 8 km southwest of Veenendaal.The village Klinkenberg has a population of around 400....
et al. (2008) Figures de la figure: Sémiotique et rhétorique générale - Serge Botet (2008) Petit traité de la métaphore: Un panorama des théories modernes de la métaphore
- François Rastier (1987) Sémantique interprétative, chapter VI Isotopies minimales, section 2 Isotopies génériques and section 4 Degres d'allotopie specifique
- Paul Delbouille, Françoise Tilkin Le lire et le délire: receuil offert à Paul Delbouille par ses collègues, pp. 223–45