The semiotic function of the names in the novel The Search by Naguib Mahfouz

In the age of myths, a name had a magical function and an inseparable connection with its owner. As this age ended, the magical function of the name reduced to a communicative function. With the advent of the novel in human life, however, the role and the place of the name were transferred to the novel. Therefore, the semiotic study of the name in the novel can lead the audience to hidden semantic layers. The secondary semiotic approach that Roland Barthes used to study mythical systems is of use for this study too. In this approach, the signs derived from the initial semiotics are reduced to the signifier level in the second stage and they are semiotic again. Accordingly, this article uses a descriptive-analytical method to examine the novel The Search for the connection between the signifier and the signified in the key characters of Saber, Seyyed Seyed Rahimi, Elham, Basimeh Imran and Karimeh. These characters are then identified. On the basis of the signifier-signified relationship in early semiotics, the characters are divided into two categories. In this classification, Seyyed Seyed Rahimi and Elham, whose personalities and names are directly related to each other, are placed in one category, and Imran, Karima, and Saber, who are inversely related to their names, are placed in another category. Then, each category is considered as a signifier in contrast to the other category, and their signified meanings are examined. With secondary semiotics, the signs find various socio-historical implications in Eastern societies. This indicates the position of Arab lands in the past and present. The present study is dedicated to discovering the meanings derived from them.