| ID | 8fa87bd3-1db5-45a5-a0c1-dea1574972b4 |
|---|---|
| DeertopiaVisibility | public |
Sign (linguistics)
Language consists of signs — pieces of syntax with corresponding semantics. The syntax, e.g. a sequence of symbols or sounds, is called the exponent or signifier, while the semantics is called the meaning, or signified. For example, the word cat is an exponent with a meaning like cathood, or, the set of all cats.
A sign can be as short as a single lexical unit, or as long as a novel.
Language signs actually have at least two additional layers of structure: we've covered syntax and semantics, but signs also have phonology and morphology. In the nomenclature, these 'layers' are called strata (singular stratum).
- semantics
the meaning — that which is signified
- syntax
the structure of the language — how wordsIn written language, a word is like a lexical token. Tough to define for spoken language. [What exactly do we mean by 'word?''] are arranged
- morphology
the structure of words — the decomposition into morphemes
- phonology
the organisation of phonemes
Formal definition
Formally, a sign is a quadruple ⟨π, μ, λ, σ⟩, where
Ï€ is its exponent (or phonological structure),
μ is its morphological structure,
λ is its syntactic structure,
and σ is its meaning (or semantic structure)
We denote signs vertically like so:
\begin{center} \begin{bmatrix} \pi \\ \mu \\ \lambda \\ \sigma \end{bmatrix} \end{center} ParseError: No such environment: center at position 7: \begin{̲c̲e̲n̲t̲e̲r̲}̲ \begin{bmatrix…N.B. the definition of a sign varies by author.