Dictionary of Symbols

by Carl G. Luingman and Carl G. Liungman

Book Overview

From early cave drawings to modern corporate logos, graphic symbols have been used to convey meanings both tangible and abstract. In this unique dictionary, Carl G. Liungman puts approximately 2,500 Western graphic symbols at your fingertips. Each entry includes the sign's history, its meanings, and the systems in which it is used. Symbols are cross-referenced to other signs with the same meanings and to structurally similar signs with different meanings...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0393312364
• ISBN13: 9780393312362
• Release Date: February 1995
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Length: 608 Pages
• Weight: 1.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 12 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Incredible book!

I'm impressed, I knew what I wanted to read about and have closely to me when I work (I'm a graphic designer) but to have so much info and in such a detail at your finger tips... now I have the best thing when it comes to symbols, sign or logos. A must have for my filed of work.

Dictionary of Symbols (Norton Paperback)

This book gave me the exact information I was looking for. I incorporate symbology in my paintings and this book gives just the amount of information and design to accomplish my aims.

Gray's Anatomy for the Searcher After Symbols

Most books on symbols confine themselves to higher level abstractions such as "the lion" or "mercury" or the letters of the alphabet. Liungman's achievement is to create a comprehensive taxonomy for symbols that uses the most basic shapes as building blocks to create ascending chains of meaning. As such, it is an original work of scholarship rather than a gazetteer of common symbols. "The Dictionary of Symbols" is a gold mine of information for readers interested in graphic design or the "semiotics," if I may be allowed to use the term, behind supposedly abstract shapes and designs. Did you ever wonder about the significance of the Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen logos or the three diamonds of the Mitsubishi symbol? Would world history have been different if the Nazi swastika had pointed the other way? These and many other questions of similar nature are knowledgeably and enjoyably explored in this very impressive book.

The best source for clean graphic symbols

Among all the books referred to as "dictionaries" of symbols, this is the one that provides the artist with a truly visual inspiration.The black and white printing lends itself to the elegant and crisp presentation of the publication. Symbols are not obscure drawings, but concise graphic representations.For those interested in the deeper meaning of symbols (not simply their aesthetic appeal), explanations of symbol origin are provided alongside; similar or equivalent symbols are cross-referenced with each other.An excellent source for any designer seeking to add symbolism to his/her work without the frills.

A great resource for symbols

This is an absolutely must have book for artists that use symbols in their work and that want to know the meaning of them. It covers a broad range from medical and scientific to religious and computer signs and symbols.