The spectrum of objects to which the signs refer or point, as opposed to what the signs mean or indicate.
The reference to the sign “semioticians” includes Charles Peirce, Ferdinand de Saussure, Charles Morris, Roland Barthes, and many others. These are some of the people to whom this sign (“semioticians“) points.
On the other hand, the meaning of the sign “semioticians” is people who consciously explore the nature and essence of the signs.
It is possible for a sign to have a meaning but not a reference, for example, the expression “the current King of France” has a meaning, although there is no one it refers to.
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