The Two Signs of The Linguistic Sign

We all know that there are many different types of signs, for example: danger signs,
warning signs, caution signs, notice signs, safety instruction signs, but do we know
what a linguistic sign is? Saussure in the simplest way defines linguistic signs as the
building blocks we use to communicate our thoughts. Building blocks are placed as
foundation stones which have to be sturdy in order to be able to carry the weight of an
entire building. So, linguistic signs are the foundation of language, which we use to
communicate, meaningful units that we combine in our sentences.

As defined by Saussure, a linguistic sign is the association between an “acoustic

image” and an “idea” or a “concept”.this association is characterized by three essentail
properties. The first characteristic is that the acoustic image (sound pattern) and the
concept (the meaning or signification) cannot be dissociated, which means that this
union is a mental or psychological phenomenon. The second characteristic is that this
association is fundamentally arbitrary in the sense that it is solely based on a social
convention, and the third characteristic is that a linguistic sign has no meaning by itself.

Saussure claims that linguistic forms cannot be considered independently of their

meanings, which is in opposition to the philosophical view, which was constructed by
the philosophical tradition, which claims that most of the time the “acoustic image” and
the “concept” or “idea” is distinct from the relation between the form and meaning.
Saussure claims that our thinking cannot be dissociated from the system of language,
meaning that we both think and speak through signs. Out thinking cannot be separated
from the acoustic images in which our thoughts are necessarily cast. The language
we use provides us with ways of characterizing our experiences of the self and the
world. These categories help us to express ourselves, and the more experiences we
have, the more categories we create, the more creatively and eloquently we are able
to express ourselves. Saussure did not mean the physical sounds themselves when
he used the expression “acoustic images”, but rather, their mental or philosophical
representations which were so intimately associated with distinct concepts. This
association was could be depicted as the “recto” and “verso” or the front and back of
a sheet of paper. This image, or example gives us a clear depiction of the association
between the acoustic image and the concept or idea. We know that we cannot have
the front of a sheet without the back of the sheet, and so we know that we cannot have
an acoustic image without a concept or an idea. Saussure later proposed to symbolize
the twofold nature of the linguistic signs by deriving two nouns from the French verb
signifier (to signify): signifiant (literally: signifying), and signifié (literally: signified).
Another example we can use to explain the twofold nature of the linguistic sign. This
association can also be explained using the example of the Asian symbol which unites
the “Yin” with the “Yang” in a single image. One cannot exist without the other.
However, the recto/verso image more exactly conveys the kind of relationship that
Saussure had in mind when explaining his view.
Saussure asserted the principle of the arbitrariness of the linguistic sign as the
cornerstone of his theoretical approach to the science of language. For him, words
mean what they mean in a language for no other reason than those who speak that
language implicitly agree that they do so. For example, if someone’s language is
English, this person has acquired the habit of associating, for instance, the acoustic
images “friend” and “enemy” with the two opposite qualities that other people can have
with respect to the well being of the self, and this person can be confident that the
other members of the linguistic community to which she/he belongs have acquired the
same associations. But if this person travels to a country in which another language is
spoken, for instance Hungary or Indonesia, it will be impossible to guess which sound
patterns correspond to the acoustic images associated with the concepts of “friend”
and “enemy.” This is so because there is no natural link between the quality of being
a friend or an enemy and any specific sound patterns. It is a social convention we
inherit when we learn our native language or, to a limited extent, when we acquire
secondary languages. As a consequence of this arbitrariness, there is no absolute
correspondence between the words of different languages. Using this example, we
are able to better understand the concept of arbitrariness, and get a better grasp of
what Saussure had in mind.

So, we know that linguistic signs are meaningful units which build the foundation of
language. This linguistic sign is the association between an acoustic image and a
concept or idea, and this association is characterized by three main properties.
Arbitrariness means that there is no absolute correspondence between the words of
different languages. The best example we have to understand Saussere’s theory is
the example of the front and back of a sheet of paper.

Amina Pandzic