Language as a system of signs.
Saussure was the first who spoke about Language as a system of signs.
Sapir: language is a purely human and non instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions and desires by means of a system of symbols.
Saussure also proposed the necessity of a special science that would study the life of signs within society. Saussure called this science semiology. Semiology is a very general science and linguistics is only part of it.
The science really appeared in the beginning of the 20th century and it was called semiotics. The founders of the science are considered to be Charles Pierce and Charles Morris.
Semiotics is a science which studies signs, sign phenomena and sign using behavior.
The scheme of linguistic communication (The transmitter – receiver circuit):
The process of communication is the exchange of linguistic signs. The linguistic sign units a concept and sound image.
The scheme of linguistic sign:
Trends in semiotics:
1) lingua semiotics – studies both natural and artificial languages
2) ethno semiotics – studies sign using behavior of people in connection with their culture
3) bio semiotics – studies signs produced by humans and animals
4) art semiotics – studies how different massages can be conveyed with the help of signs in art (ballet, music)
5) computer semiotics
Classification of signs.
Charles Pierce:
1) icons are signs which are based on similarity.
Two types of icons: images (f.e. some road signs) and diagrams (always show the proportion between the sides of one whole, f.e. bar chart, pie chart).
2) indexes are based on contiguity
3) symbols are based on convention
Hierarchy. The most primitive signs are sins indexes because they always describe what is here and now. Then come iconic signs because always presuppose a certain degree of abstraction. The most complex type of signs because they have the highest degree of abstraction.
Saussure: There are no signs that are purely symbolic. F.e. the symbol of justice (a pair of scales), the symbol of infinity.
Charles Pierce: There are no pure icons, indexes and symbols. All signs are mixtures to this or that extend. F.e. the symbol of the Olympic Games.
All types of signs can be found in natural languages. Sound imitating words are iconic.
The principles of iconicity.
The principles of iconicity means that there is a certain similarity between a language form and the thing it stands for.
The subprincipal of sequential order. The arrangement of elements in a linguistic construction usually coincides with the order of events. F.e. Veni, vidi, vici – Пришёл, увидел, победил; Eye it, try it, buy it – Увить, примерь, купи (реклама); day and night; now or never.
In language a more important thing comes first. F.E. Ladies and gentlements.
The subprincipal of distance. Things which belong together conceptually are put together linguistically.
F.e.: John sent his girlfriend a valentine card. AND John sent a valentine card to his girlfriend.
F.e.: I made her leave – direct impact. I wanted her to leave – indirect impact. I hoped that she would leave – no impact. – сравнивают расстояние между двумя глаголами.
The subprincipal of quantity. More form – more meaning, less form – less meaning. Sometimes reduplication is used for forming the plural forms of words.
To be polite is to say more.
The principle of symbolicity.
The principle of simplicity refers to cases of conventional pairing of formal meaning that can be found in the language. F.e. using mobile phones.
The principle of indexicality.
The subprincipal of deictic orientation. The speaker sees the arrangement of objects of extralinguistic reality from his own perspective. WE describe objects as we would describe ourselves. F.e. the left and the right of the car.
The subprincipal anthropocentricity. The anththropocentric perspective of the world follows from the fact that we are interested first of all in ourselves and we, humans, occupy a privileged position in the description of events.
If the sentence describes a human, “he” or “she” is usually a subject , f.e. : She knows the poem by heart.
If we take the English language, it has special personal pronounce for males and females, “he” or “she”, and only one “it” for things.
There are three relative pronounce which refer to human (“who”, “whose”, “whom”) and only one “which”.
There is a special possessive form for humans ” ’(e)s”.