noun
symbolist; semiotician
A scholar who studies signs and symbols, especially in the field of semiotics. The term is academic and somewhat specialized.
彼は記号学者として、文化におけるシンボルの意味を研究している。
As a semiotician, he studies the meaning of symbols in culture.
Compound of 記号 (sign, symbol) + 学 (study) + 者 (person). A straightforward academic formation.