The main aim of this brief and purposely radical essay is to investigate further possibilities for empirical research in natural classification of semiosis (signs as wholes). Before introducing emon – a missing term in the taxonomy of signs – we make a distinction between the natural and artificial, and between the taxonomic and meronomic classifications of signs. Natural classifications or typologies are empirically based, while artificial classifications do not require empirical test. Meronomy describes the relational or functional structure of the whole (for instance triadic, circular, etc. composition of sign), while taxonomy categorizes individuals (individual signs). We argue that a natural taxonomy of signs can be based on the existence of different complexity of operations during semiosis, which implies different mechanisms of learning. We add into the taxonomy a particular type of signs – emonic signs, which are at work in imitation and social learning, while being more complex than indexes and less complex than symbols. Icons are related to imprinting, indexes to conditioning, emons to imitating, and symbols to conventions or naming. We also argue that the semiotic typologies could undergo large changes after the discovery of the proper mechanisms or workings of semiosis.

中文翻译：

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迈向符号学的自然学和分类学的步骤：索引和符号之间的情感动因？

这篇简短而有目的的激进文章的主要目的是研究符号学自然分类（符号整体）的​​实证研究的更多可能性。在介绍emon（标志分类法中的缺失术语）之前，我们先对标志的自然分类和人工分类以及符号分类和近因分类进行区分。自然分类或类型是基于经验的，而人工分类则不需要经验检验。机能学描述整体的关系或功能结构（例如，三重，圆形等符号的组成），而分类法则将个人（个体符号）分类。我们认为符号的自然分类法可以基于符号学期间操作的不同复杂性的存在，这意味着学习机制的不同。我们在分类法中添加了一种特殊的符号-表情符号，它在模仿和社会学习中发挥作用，但比索引更复杂，比符号更不复杂。图标与压印，与条件的索引，与模仿的emon，与约定或命名的符号有关。我们还认为，在发现符号学的适当机制或运作方式之后，符号学类型学可能会发生重大变化。