The differences between signifier/signified and reference/sense
May 29, 2015 · The two distinctions: signifier/signified sense/reference (sense/meaning as in the original sinn/bedeutung) are not only not the same, they are not even particularly related (other than both …
meaning - About the arbitrariness of a sign - Linguistics Stack Exchange
Mar 23, 2025 · This is all de Saussure who posited that a linguistic sign consists of a signifier (the sound or visual form of a word) and a signified (the concept or meaning it represents).
What is meaning according to Saussure? - Linguistics Stack Exchange
Mar 16, 2020 · In other words, meaning is a mental construct which refers to the signifier (for example, a physical object). Together (and, to Saussure, inseparably), the signifier and the signified constitute a …
Why is it called the ‘sound-image’ in Saussurean structural linguistics?
Oct 1, 2022 · The term “sound-image” seems to suggest a mental image that the signifier evokes, but then the explanations from all sources seem to say that it doesn’t involve image, only words and …
What is the evidence for the arbitrariness of the sign?
Aug 14, 2019 · Before you point someone to evidence, I suggest pointing them to the problem of saying exactly what the "principle" or at least empirical claim is. It is about the relationship between meaning …
Is language change universal, ongoing, and arbitrary?
May 29, 2020 · Learning that arbitrariness from Saussure means there is no logical connection between the sound of morpheme and its meaning. But can we brain storm about this topic a little bit? When it …
terminology - What is does mean in the stated link when the author …
May 28, 2018 · This is a sign with a straightforward relationship between signifier and signified. The arrangement of the hands is the signifier and the signified is that it's 3 o'clock. Signs like this, as the …
Sapir-Whorf vs. Chomsky - Linguistics Stack Exchange
Oct 15, 2015 · Can somebody let me know if this is a reasonable explanation for how the two theories are similar and different? This is not for homework, I'm just try to understand the difference, and my …
terminology - Are 'reference', 'sense', 'connotation', 'denotation ...
Assumptions Reference: a unique and real entity that an expression represents. Sense: a facet of a referent that an expression represents. Connotation: the settled emotional content of an expressi...
Icon, Index and Symbol - Linguistics Stack Exchange
Jun 7, 2015 · But, of course, something being a sign for something in a community of speakers is the very definition of symbol which describes a situation where the signifier (vehicle) is related to the …