Communication: Origin, Meaning, Definitions and Basic Elements
Introduction
Communication is the process through which people express, convey, and interpret meaning using words, sounds, images, gestures, and other symbols. It enables the sharing of experiences and the development of relationships. Shared understanding is an important goal, although messages can also produce disagreement or misunderstanding.
1. Etymology and Origin
The word communication traces to Latin communicatio, linked to communicare, meaning “to share” or “to make common,” and communis, meaning “common.” These roots emphasize participation and sharing. Related words include community, communion, and commonality.
Words such as communalism and communism also relate to the idea of commonality, but their political or social meanings should not be confused with the meaning of communication.
2. Core Meaning of Communication
Communication involves expressing meaning and interpreting what others convey. Symbols do not carry identical meanings for everyone; interpretation depends on language, context, cultural knowledge, and experience.
For example, a teacher may use a technical term that is familiar to advanced students but unfamiliar to beginners. An explanation or example can establish the common ground needed for understanding.
Communication also shapes social relationships and shared interpretations of reality. Repeated conversations can establish expectations, maintain traditions, or challenge existing beliefs.
A cyclic process describes interactive exchanges in which participants respond and adjust their messages. However, not every communication situation includes immediate feedback or follows a complete cycle.
3. Definitions and Scholarly Perspectives
The supplied definitions highlight complementary aspects of communication. The following table paraphrases their central ideas rather than presenting unverified wording as direct quotations.
Table 1: Scholarly Perspectives on Communication
| Scholar or scholars | Main emphasis |
|---|---|
| Denis McQuail | Communication increases commonality while requiring some existing common ground. |
| Harold Lasswell | Communication can be analyzed through the communicator, message, channel, audience, and effect. |
| John C. Merrill and Ralph L. Lowenstein | Shared symbols contribute to understanding between participants. |
| Wilbur Schramm | Sharing information, ideas, and attitudes depends on interpretation and experience. |
| Bernard Berelson and Gary Steiner | Symbols transmit information, ideas, emotions, and skills. |
Lasswell’s 1948 formula asks: Who says what, in which channel, to whom, with what effect? It provides an analytical framework, but does not explicitly include feedback.
Schramm’s field of experience refers to knowledge and experiences that influence interpretation. Overlapping experience can support comprehension; it does not require participants to have identical backgrounds.
4. The Indian Perspective: Sadharanikaran
Sadharanikaran draws on Sanskrit aesthetic traditions and emphasizes commonness or shared experience. Sahridayas are receptive participants capable of appreciating and sharing meaning or feeling.
In its application to communication, the concept emphasizes relationships and mutual receptivity. It is an Indian philosophical perspective on communication rather than a direct equivalent covering every meaning of the English term.
5. Basic Elements of Communication
Encoding expresses an idea through symbols; decoding interprets those symbols.
Table 2: Elements and Their Functions
| Element | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Source or sender | Initiates and encodes a message | A teacher explains a concept. |
| Message | Contains the communicated idea | The explanation itself |
| Channel | Carries the message | Speech or written notes |
| Receiver | Decodes and interprets the message | Students interpret the explanation. |
| Feedback | Returns information to the sender | A student requests clarification. |
| Effect | Represents an outcome | A student develops better understanding. |
SMCR represents Source, Message, Channel, and Receiver. Feedback can be added to explain an interactive exchange, but it is not a separate component in the basic SMCR abbreviation.
Where SMCRE is used, E generally denotes Effect. Feedback and effect differ: a question returns information to the teacher, while improved understanding is an outcome that may not be communicated back.
Conclusion
Communication combines symbolic expression with interpretation. Common ground supports understanding, and feedback helps participants clarify meaning. Distinguishing feedback from effect makes the process clearer.
Clarifications: Communis means “common”; communicare conveys sharing or making common. Communication is not necessarily cyclic, SMCR does not explicitly include feedback, and the scholarly definitions above are paraphrases.