“Let’s Defeat Traffic”: A Verbal-Visual Analysis of the Meaning and Theme of a Word on a Cover of Época Magazine

Abstract

This article presents a verbal-visual analysis of the meaning and theme of the word “tráfico,” such as it appears on one of the covers of Época magazine. In order to do so, it takes into account the etymology and the historical changes of the meaning of the word in certain concrete contexts in which it circulated, so as to verify how its polysemy contributes, in conjunction with the cover visuality, to produce a certain impact on the reading audience. The analysis is based on Vološinov’s theory of meaning and theme, and emphasizes the importance of the social and historical context in the study of ideological signs. The results indicate how an analysis of this kind can clarify the communicative purpose of word usage and permit a historical and critical understanding of an issue.