Linguistic Sign
The linguistic sign is an acoustic image (a word) associated with one or more meanings, within a language or linguistic system.
Another definition of the linguistic sign is a vocal-graphic manifestation connected to one or more concepts. Simply speaking, is a representation of an object, attribute, or concept carried out by means of a word or chain of sounds [1].
The linguistic sign is part of a system common for a group of human beings, by a linguistic community.
The linguistic sign consists of two parts: a signifier (the form) and something signified (what is referred to, the meaning). In accordance with Ferdinand de Saussure, language is a system of signs, in which each creates part of an interdependent whole [2].
Linguistic signs are two-sided – they consist of a signifier, formed with speech sounds (phonemes), and a signified, formed by the linguistic sign’s content.
The linguistic sign is asymmetrical, that is its peculiarity. It means that one signifier is capable to convey different meanings and the capability of the signified to be expressed by different signifiers. This asymmetry determines the language’s capacity for development.
There are two subdivisions of linguistic signs:
1. A complete sign.
Involves an utterance, typically a sentence, directly related to the particular situation.
2. A partial linguistic sign.
A morpheme or word that is only an element of a complete sign [3].
⠀ 1. Retrieved from: EngloPedia [https://englopedia.com/linguistic-sign-and-its-characteristics/].
⠀ 2. Retrieved from: Encyclopedia.com [https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/linguistic-sign].
⠀ 3. Retrieved from: The Free Dictionary Encyclopedia [https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Linguistic+Sign].