Signifier/Signified: Etymology/Terms, Meanings and Concept
Signifier
- Etymology: Stems from the Latin ‘significare’ meaning “to signify, represent, or mean”.
- Meaning: The signifier is the physical or perceivable form of a sign. It’s the word you hear, the image you see, the gesture you observe. Think of it as the vehicle that carries meaning.
- Concept: The signifier holds no inherent meaning by itself. It gains significance through its relationship with the signified.
Signified
- Etymology: Also from Latin ‘significare’, related to conveying meaning.
- Meaning: The signified is the concept, idea, or mental image that the signifier evokes. It’s the meaning that is carried by the physical sign.
- Concept: The signified is not a physical thing, but an abstract idea existing in the mind of the interpreter.
Concept of Signifier/Signified
- The theory of the signifier and signified, a cornerstone of semiotics, was pioneered by linguist Ferdinand de Saussure.
- Saussure argued that a complete sign exists only through the connection between the signifier (form) and signified (meaning).
- Crucially, the relationship between the two is arbitrary; there is no inherent reason why a particular sound or image should represent a specific idea. Meaning depends on cultural conventions and shared understanding.
Signifier/Signified: Definition of a Theoretical Term
The signifier/signified is a theoretical concept in semiotics proposed by Ferdinand de Saussure. It refers to the relationship between a signifier, which is the physical form of a sign (such as a word or image), and the signified, which is the concept or meaning associated with that sign. This relationship underscores the arbitrariness of language, as the connection between a signifier and its signified is based on convention rather than inherent meaning.
Signifier/Signified: Theorists, Works and Arguments
- Ferdinand de Saussure: A foundational figure in structural linguistics and semiotics. His seminal work, Course in General Linguistics, posited the signifier/signified dyad as the core element of meaning-making.
- Argument: Saussure emphasized the arbitrary nature of the link between signifier and signified, suggesting that meaning is established through cultural conventions rather than any inherent connection between word and object.
- Roland Barthes: A French literary theorist and semiotician who expanded upon Saussurean concepts. His influential work, Mythologies, analyzes how signs operate within popular culture.
- Argument: Barthes distinguished between denotation (the literal meaning of a sign) and connotation (its associated cultural implications). He argued that seemingly innocuous signs can be vehicles for perpetuating ideological power structures.
- Jacques Lacan: A French psychoanalyst whose work integrated semiotics and Freudian psychoanalysis.
- Argument: Lacan proposed that the unconscious is itself structured like a language, with signifiers fluidly representing signifieds. He emphasized the instability of meaning and the subject’s ever-shifting relationship to language and desire.
Signifier/Signified: Major Characteristics
- Arbitrariness: The signifier-signified relationship is fundamentally arbitrary, meaning there is no inherent connection between the signifier and the signified. For example, there’s no inherent reason why the word “tree” signifies the concept of a tall, woody plant; it’s purely a matter of convention.
- Duality: This relationship involves a duality, where the signifier and the signified are distinct entities yet are inseparable in their function within a sign. They rely on each other to convey meaning. For instance, in the word “dog,” the sound pattern “d-o-g” is the signifier, while the mental concept of a canine animal is the signified.
- Linearity: The signifier-signified relationship operates linearly, with each signifier corresponding to a specific signified within a particular cultural context. However, this linearity can vary across different cultures or linguistic communities.
- Mutability: Over time and through cultural evolution, the relationship between signifiers and signifieds can change. New meanings can be attributed to existing signifiers, or new signifiers can emerge to represent existing or novel signifieds.
Literary references that illustrate these characteristics include:
- Arbitrariness: In Jorge Luis Borges’ short story “The Analytical Language of John Wilkins,” Borges explores the arbitrary nature of language by describing a fictional language where the classification of animals is based on different attributes, highlighting how language constructs our understanding of reality.
- Duality: In William Wordsworth’s poem “Daffodils,” the signifier “daffodils” evokes not only the physical flowers but also the broader concepts of beauty, inspiration, and the power of nature, demonstrating the duality of the signifier-signified relationship.
- Linearity: In Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” the recurring motif of the “gypsy Melquiades” serves as a signifier for the cyclical nature of time and history within the fictional town of Macondo, emphasizing the linearity of meaning within the narrative.
- Mutability: In George Orwell’s “1984,” the word “doublethink” represents a concept that didn’t exist prior to the novel but has since become widely recognized and understood, showcasing how language can evolve and new signifiers can emerge to encapsulate changing societal phenomena.
Signifier/Signified: Relevance in Literary Theories
| Literary Theory | Relevance of Signifier/Signified |
| Structuralism | Emphasizes the underlying structures of language that shape meaning. Examines how literary texts establish systems of internal relationships between words and images. |
| Post-Structuralism | Challenges the stability of meaning and the assumed authority of the author. Focuses on the instability of language, highlighting how the signified can never be fully fixed, leading to multiple possible interpretations. |
| Deconstruction | Seeks to expose hidden contradictions and power dynamics within texts. Analyzes how signifiers can slip in meaning or signify multiple things at once, undermining apparent hierarchies and binary oppositions within a text. |
| Semiotics | Approaches literary texts as systems of signs. Examines how literary signs (words, images, symbols, narrative structures) function to create meaning within specific cultural contexts. |
| New Criticism | While not directly concerned with the signifier/signified, focuses on the close reading of the text itself. Analyzes how the arrangement of textual elements (words, syntax, imagery) creates patterns of meaning. |
Signifier/Signified: Application in Critiques
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald:
- Arbitrariness: The signifier “green light” in the novel symbolizes Gatsby’s aspirations and the American Dream, highlighting the arbitrary nature of symbols in literature.
- Duality: The signifier “valley of ashes” represents both a physical location and the moral decay of society, demonstrating the duality of signifiers in conveying multiple layers of meaning.
- Linearity: The signifier “Gatsby’s mansion” evolves over the course of the novel from a symbol of wealth and success to one of emptiness and disillusionment, illustrating the linear progression of meaning within the narrative.
- Mutability: The signifier “Gatsby” has undergone mutability in popular culture, becoming synonymous with the idea of the self-made man or the tragic hero, showcasing how meanings can change over time.
- Beloved by Toni Morrison:
- Arbitrariness: The signifier “Beloved” embodies both the physical presence of the character and the haunting legacy of slavery, revealing the arbitrary yet potent nature of symbols in the novel.
- Duality: The signifier “tree” serves as a symbol of both trauma and resilience, with its branches representing the interconnectedness of past and present experiences for the characters.
- Linearity: The signifier “rememory” reflects the nonlinear narrative structure of the novel, blurring the boundaries between past and present and challenging linear conceptions of time and memory.
- Mutability: The signifier “Beloved” has undergone mutability in critical interpretations, with scholars offering varied analyses of her character and symbolic significance, showcasing the evolving interpretations of the novel.
- 1984 by George Orwell:
- Arbitrariness: The signifier “Big Brother” represents both a totalitarian regime and the pervasive surveillance state, illustrating the arbitrary yet powerful nature of political symbols in the novel.
- Duality: The signifier “Newspeak” embodies both linguistic control and the manipulation of truth, highlighting the duality of language as a tool of oppression and resistance.
- Linearity: The signifier “thoughtcrime” serves as a central concept in the novel, demonstrating the linear progression of totalitarian control over individual freedom and autonomy.
- Mutability: The signifier “Orwellian” has undergone mutability in popular discourse, becoming synonymous with dystopian surveillance and authoritarianism, showcasing the lasting impact of the novel on language and culture.
- Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad:
- Arbitrariness: The signifier “darkness” symbolizes both the physical landscape of colonial Africa and the moral corruption of European imperialism, highlighting the arbitrary yet evocative nature of symbols in the novella.
- Duality: The signifier “Kurtz” embodies both the idealized image of European civilization and the depravity of colonial exploitation, revealing the duality of colonial representations and identities.
- Linearity: The signifier “journey up the Congo River” follows a linear narrative trajectory, mirroring the protagonist’s descent into the heart of darkness and moral ambiguity.
- Mutability: The signifier “Heart of Darkness” has undergone mutability in critical interpretations, with scholars offering diverse readings of the novella’s themes of imperialism, race, and narrative perspective, showcasing the ongoing relevance and complexity of Conrad’s work.
Signifier/Signified: Relevant Terms
| Term | Concise Definition |
| Sign | The combination of the signifier (form) and the signified (meaning). |
| Semiotics | The study of signs and their systems of meaning-making. |
| Symbol | A sign where the relationship between signifier and signified is somewhat arbitrary but culturally established. |
| Denotation | The literal or primary meaning of a sign. |
| Connotation | The associated, often culturally dependent, meanings of a sign. |
| Polysemy | The capacity of a sign to have multiple meanings. |
| Arbitrariness | The principle that there is no inherent link between a signifier and signified. |
| Code | A system of signs that creates meaning within a given culture or context. |
| Intertextuality | The way texts reference or build upon each other, influencing interpretation. |
| Discourse | A system of language and thought that shapes our understanding of a topic. |
Signifier/Signified: Suggested Readings
- Barthes, Roland. Mythologies. Translated by Annette Lavers, Hill and Wang, 1972.
- Chandler, Daniel. Semiotics: The Basics. 2nd ed., Routledge, 2007.
- Culler, Jonathan. Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 1997.
- Danesi, Marcel. The Quest for Meaning: A Guide to Semiotic Theory and Practice. University of Toronto Press, 2007.
- De Saussure, Ferdinand. Course in General Linguistics. Edited by Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye, translated by Wade Baskin. Columbia University Press, 2011.
- Eagleton, Terry. Literary Theory: An Introduction. 2nd ed., University of Minnesota Press, 1996.
- Eco, Umberto. A Theory of Semiotics. Indiana University Press, 1976.
- Fiske, John. Introduction to Communication Studies. 2nd ed., Routledge, 1990.
- Hall, Stuart, ed. Representation: Cultural Representations and Signifying Practices. Sage Publications, 1997.
- Nöth, Winfried. Handbook of Semiotics. Indiana University Press, 1990.