Maybe Arabic circles love analysing signs and symbols (8)

I believe the answer is:

semiotic

'analysing signs and symbols' is the definition.
(semiotics is the study of signs and symbols)

'maybe arabic circles love' is the wordplay.
'maybe arabic' becomes 'semitic' (Arabic is a semitic language).
'circles' is an insertion indicator.
'love' becomes 'o' (love means zero in tennis).
'semitic' enclosing 'o' is 'SEMIOTIC'.

(Another definition for semiotic that I've seen is " Interpreting signals".)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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