ABSTRACT
This study entailed a semiotic analysis of the cooking items in Edo. The study focused on the representation (meaning) of these cooking items in the language, their functions and connections to the culture of the Edo (Bini) people in general, the study also look at these cooking items as an aspect of non verbal language. The data employed for the research were gotten from competent native speakers and users of the Edo language who were basically elderly women who have gained experience in cooking as well as the culture. Interviews were carried out at market places in Benin City such as Oba market, Ekiosa market and Oliha market respectively where varieties of cooking items are sold. These data were collected by the use of analog materials like note books, biros and a camera.
The theoretical frame work employed is the semiotic theory of Peirce (1839- 1958). Peirce’s sign theory is an account of representation, reference and meaning. For Peirce we think only in sign and sign can take the form of words, images, sounds, odours, flavours, acts or objects, but such things have no intrinsic meaning and become sign only when we invest them with meaning. A fully fledged sign must have a representamen, a semiotic object, and an interpretant, nothing is a sign unless it is interpreted as a sign declares Peirce (1931:58). Peirce went further to classify sign into three groups which are; Icons, Index, and symbol. The findings of the study revealed among other things different representamen can stand for one semiotic object i.e. one word ( semiotic object) can be interpreted using several represenatamen and size also play a major role in the cooking items as different occasions permits the size of cooking items to be used. The study also revealed that these cooking items can serve as nonverbal means of communication.
