I haven’t been able to find a clear and simple definition of “phenotext” and “genotext”, both terms — I believe — were created by Julia Kristeva. All explanations are only pompous texts I have not had time to go through. Has anyone a definition for me?
Answer
The term "pheno-text" refers to the text as a "fact" or an "appearing" in its concrete manifestation or material form (communicative function). …
The geno-text corresponds to the process of generating the signifying system (the production of signification). … The geno-text is not a structure; it represents signifying infiniteness. The geno-text does not reveal a signifying process; it offers all possible signifying processes [signifiances].
Taken from http://www.signosemio.com/kristeva/a_semanalyse.asp. (Note also her note "The distinction between the terms "pheno-text" and "geno-text" was borrowed from Šaumjan Soboleva.")
I don’t know semiotics, but based on my biology background and extrapolating from the difference between phenotype and genotype, plus given the definitions above, I’d hazard:
Pheno-text: the physical text, that which is expressed, contained in language or other signifiers
Geno-text: the creative means by which the physical text comes into being (not language, but the means of producing language in a biological and somatic sense, as it is constrained by social interaction)
If that doesn’t help, you might want to provide some quotations from some pompous papers.
Attribution
Source : Link , Question Author : neydroydrec , Answer Author : Kit Z. Fox
