Saussure on Language: Ferdinand De

Saussure on Language:

Ferdinand de Saussure, who is widely considered as the most significant linguistic theorist of the 20th Century, mainly concentrated on the foundational system that permits daily speech practices. As compared to other linguists, Saussure is credited for transforming the study of language because of his focus was beyond surface utterances. In his work, Saussure differentiated language system and speech practices usually known as langue and parole respectively. According to him, utterances basically function as carriers of ideas or names when a complete language system is disguised in each speech ("Structuralism & Poststructuralism" par, 2). In fact, Saussure uses to illustrations to prove this point with the first being the example of a leaf exposes the whole invisible structure when transversally cut. Secondly, he compares language to a game of chess where every move is governed by the regulations of the game.

One of the major reasons why Saussure is considered as one of the most important linguistic theorist is because of his creative argument that language are symbols that consist of:

Obvious Sound Image (Signifier):

The fundamental linguistic unit consist of two parts which are sound image and concept with sound image referring to the mental imprint of the sound (or the thoughts it creates) rather than the physical sound itself. For example, when an individual is talking to him/herself, he/she does not necessarily make a physical sound but rather possesses an impression of what he/she is saying (Klages par, 10). While every signifier or the obvious sound image has value, different languages allocate different values to signifiers with the value being determined by the relation between various signifiers. Consequently, each signifier operates within the language system and the set of relations between diversely linked terms for it to be of value. The value of a signifier is its ability to function as the indicator of a certain thing or grammatical operation.

Mental Concept (Signified):

In explaining the mental concept of language, Saussure uses the example of a tree where the sound image of a tree routinely invoke the concept of a tree regardless of the different words for tree in various languages. The mental concept or signified basically refers to the particular thing or event within the mental representation.

The Linguistic Sign:

Saussure considers language as a form rather than substance because the linguistic sign is basically fabricated by a combination of the obvious sound image (signifier) and the mental concept (signified). In fact, he considers the linguistic sign as a mental relationship between the signifier and the signified rather than being the connection between a thing and a name (Walker par, 5). Furthermore, while the signifier is a link between a sound pattern and a sound, the signified is a connection the mental image of a concept and the concept itself. Therefore, language consists of not only a process of translating concepts into sounds but it is also a process of translating sounds into concepts. As a result of this process, the connection between a sound image and a mental concept contributes to a form rather than a substance.

Meaning of the Statement: