Final answer:
The term for adding grammatical information to a word or sign is inflection, which involves modifying a word to express various grammatical categories. Inflectional changes can include affixes in spoken languages and modifications of movements in sign languages. Semiotics is the study of how meaning is conveyed through these signs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The linguistic term for adding grammatical information to a word or sign is inflection. Inflection involves altering the form of a word to express different grammatical categories such as tense, mood, voice, aspect, person, number, gender, and case. For example, in English grammar, verbs often receive an "-ed" at the end to indicate the past tense, which is a form of inflection. Similarly, when discussing the communication of signs, such as in American Sign Language, inflection can involve the use of facial expressions, body movements, and the orientation of signs to modify the meaning conveyed.
Semiotics, an important field related to the use of signs in language, looks at how meaning is created and communicated through these signs. Signs can range from simple representations like logographic characters to complex combinations of sounds and gestures used in spoken and sign languages. Languages, including those in their signed forms, follow a grammar system that includes syntax and semantics, further illustrating the significance of inflection in communication.