The concept of semiosphere – Wallis before Lotman and Hoffmeyer

Abstract

This note records the early usage of the term and concept of ‘semiosphere’, which appeared in print already in 1961, employed by Polish aesthetician, art philosopher and semiotician Mieczysław Wallis (1895–1975). The term ‘semiosphere’ was also used by Walter Moser in 1979, yet it became widespread only when Juri Lotman introduced the concept in 1984. Jesper Hoffmeyer extended the scope of the concept to cover the biosphere.