Naming and Meaning: From 'The First Morning' to Saussure's Semiology

 

The Tale of Stevens and Five

Once upon a time, Stevens the sailor set out to explore the seas, seeking hidden treasures in the vast ocean. One day, a fierce storm derailed his ship, stranding him on an island.

Alone and anxious, he stumbled upon a stranger with captivating eyes that sparkled like the ocean and sand-colored skin. Despite the language barrier, they found a way to communicate. Stevens resorted to pointing at objects and speaking their names aloud, while the stranger mimicked him, gradually understanding the meanings behind the words.

For some reason ; Stevens named the stranger 'Five,' and in only six days, Five mastered his language, which is an astonishing feat. On the seventh day, they sat on the beach playing guitar and bonded over stories and dreams, forming a lifelong friendship.

Introduction:

Despite the stark differences between the nomenclaturist perspective depicted in classic accounts of language and Saussure's semiological theory, some attempts have been made to merge these distinct theories under a single umbrella. However, a careful analysis reveals significant nuances that render such attempts futile. From the biblical tale of "The First Morning" to Plato's exploration of "Names" in the Cratylus, we discern fundamental distinctions in perspectives on language. The subsequent introduction of Saussure's Semiological Theory marks a notable departure from prior conceptions, ushering in a new era in linguistic inquiry. This essay examines these transitions, emphasizing the intricate evolution of linguistic thought across historical and theoretical landscapes.

From 'The First Morning' to 'What's in a Name: The Sweet Smell of a Rose

In the Bible, specifically in Genesis 2:19-20, we encounter the narrative of God's creation of living creatures. It describes how God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens from the ground. Subsequently, God presented these animals to Adam, the first man, for him to name them. Adam proceeded to assign names to all the livestock, birds of the heavens, and every beast of the field. This account has had a profound impact on subsequent linguistic theorists, shaping ideas that persist to the present day.

Scholars have noted parallels between this biblical narrative and a passage from Plato's "Cratylus" [388 D-389 B], where Socrates discusses the origin and authority of names with Hermogenes. Socrates questions Hermogenes about the source of names, leading Hermogenes to suggest that the law might assign them. Socrates then highlights the role of skilled individuals, like a legislator or "namegiver", in naming, emphasizing that not everyone can name effectively. This dialogue explores language's nature and the authority of naming, suggesting that it is a deliberate process governed by knowledgeable individuals who assign names meaningfully.

Saussure's Semiological Theory: Charting New Territories

Some thinkers have attempted to align Saussure's ideas with the perspectives on language mentioned above, citing the following quote from "Course in General Linguistics" to support their argument:

The initial assignment of names to things, establish[ed] a contract between concepts and sound patterns. (Bush 2009).

However, upon closer examination, this quote becomes problematic in a number of ways. First, it differs from the translation it was taken from, which reads:

The initial assignment of names to things, establishing a contract between concepts and sound patterns. (Harris, 1983).

The difference in meaning here between the two sentences lies in the tense of the verb "established" in the first sentence and "establishing" in the second sentence. In the first case, "established" suggests that the initial assignment of names happened in the past, and as a result, it established a contract between concepts and sound patterns. Using the present participle "establishing" in the second sentence indicates that the process of establishing a contract is ongoing or simultaneous with the initial assignment of names. The tone counts.

Moreover, the quote is taken out of a much broader context that we reproduce below:

…a language (la langue) is always an inheritance from the past. The initial assignment of names to things, establishing a contract between concepts and sound patterns, is an act we can conceive in the imagination, but no one has ever observed it taking place. [CGL] [97]

And finally, Harris' translation of this passage fails, in my opinion, to make explicit the subtlety of the process being described by Saussure here. This is the original French version:

L’acte par lequel, à un moment donné, les noms seraient distribués aux choses, par lequel un contrat serait passé entre les concepts et les images acoustiques — cet acte, nous pouvons le concevoir, mais il n’a jamais été constaté. [CLG] [97]

Let's translate it in a more literal sense:

"The act by which, at a given moment, names would be distributed to things, by which a contract would be made between concepts and acoustic images — this act, we can conceive it, but it has never been observed."

In this passage, Saussure addresses two distinct phases of a process. Initially, the focus is on the external and material relationship between names and things. Names are allocated to objects or entities, representing an external aspect of the process. Following this, the process transitions internally, where a contract or link is established between the mental concept (signifié) and the acoustic image (signifiant). In essence, the sentences "les noms seraient distribués" ("names would be distributed") and "un contrat serait passé" ("a contract would be made") represent these separate stages.

The phrase "par lequel" ("by which" or "through which") serves to connect these phases, indicating that the act of distributing names to things facilitates the subsequent establishment of the contract between concepts and acoustic images. Thus, these stages represent distinct actions or events, potentially occurring sequentially or concurrently within the hypothetical scenario discussed by Saussure.

This perspective aligns with his broader theory as presented in his writings and lectures:

Nothing enters the language (la langue) before having been tried out in speech (la parole). [CLG] [231]

These considerations make it difficult to equate Saussure's semiological theory with either the biblical account or the discussion of language presented in Plato's Cratylus.

Conclusion

As we trace the development of linguistic theories over time, we observe a progression towards increasing complexity. In the Adamic story, we encounter the pinnacle of nomenclature, where a "namegiver," Adam, assigns names to worldly entities. This narrative lays the foundation for understanding language as a list of names for a list of things. In Plato's Cratylus, further nuances emerge, including the influence of society on linguistic transmission, yet the focus remains on the material aspect of naming.

However, the advent of Saussure's semiology marks a significant paradigm shift. Here, the focus changes from material entities to values within a system of related signs where what best describes them is “difference”, to be what the others are not. This transition in perspectives inaugurates a Copernican revolution in linguistics.

Cite this text: 

Rodie. (2024). Return to Saussure. Retrieved from http://www.derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com

Related Posts from this Blog:

Nomenclature vs Semiology: Understanding the Relation Language/Reality in Saussure's Theory

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2024/03/blog-post_30.html

Nomenclature vs. System of Arbitrary Signs

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2023/11/blog-post_26.html

Bibliography

Saussure, Ferdinand de. 1983. Course in General Linguistics, trans. R. Harris, ed. C. Bally, A. Riedlinger and A. Sechehaye (London: Duckworth).

Saussure, Ferdinand de. Cours de linguistique générale. Edited by Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye, with the collaboration of Albert Riedlinger. Arbre d’Or, Genève, 2005.

Bush, Stephen S. "Nothing Outside the Text: Derrida and Brandom on Language and World." Contemporary Pragmatism, vol. 6, no. 2, December 2009, pp. 45–69. Published by Editions Rodopi.

CRATYLUS by Plato translated by Benjamin Jowett

King James Bible online