The Power of Polysemic Words: Articulating Complex Ideas in Academic Discourse

 Introduction

Polysemic words arise when a single word or phrase can express different concepts depending on the context. For example, the word "bank" can refer to a financial institution, the side of a river, or the act of tilting. Polysemy is a common and natural feature of language, occurring because words can acquire new meanings over time while retaining their original ones. This linguistic economy allows for more efficient communication, contrary to the common belief that it causes confusion.

Various thinkers have utilized polysemic words to bring together different, sometimes contradictory, ideas under a single term, making polysemic words a potent tool for articulating complex concepts. Thinkers such as K. Abel, Freud, Derrida, and Saussure have employed this unique aspect of language in different ways. Let's examine a few cases to understand how this peculiar characteristic of language functions.

Polysemic Words in Abel, Freud and Derrida

K. Abel’s Antithetical Meanings

Philologist K. Abel, in "Sprachwissenschaftliche Abhandlungen," focused on polysemic words in ancient languages like Egyptian, particularly those with antithetical meanings. For example, a single word could mean "strong" and "weak" or "light" and "darkness." This characteristic was not due to a deficiency in intellectual evolution but reflected how concepts were originally formed by similarities and differences with other terms, which reminds us of Saussure’s differential approach to language. Abel observed that this practice extended even to compound words, where two contrary terms were combined, but the compound only retained the meaning of one of them. (Freud. 1910)

Freud’s Interest in Antithetical Meanings

This phenomenon attracted Freud's attention because he observed a similar tendency in dream formation. In his studies, Freud noted that the same image in a dream could mean two different things, sometimes both one thing and its opposite. Freud concluded that understanding the evolution of spoken language could facilitate dream interpretation, as both seemed to share similar mechanisms in representing concepts. (Freud. 1910)

Derrida’s Master Signifier: Différance

Derrida’s concept of différance brings together two different connotations of the polysemic French word ‘différer’: differing and deferring. This French word means both the spatial spreading of meaning, where a sign refers to other elements in the system, and the temporal deferral of meaning, where a sign always refers to elements before or after it in the linguistic system. Interestingly, this also reminds us of Saussure’s theory, specifically the syntagmatic and associative relations. For Derrida, language works through this perpetual process of differing/deferring, where meaning is never fully present but always postponed to the next sign. (Bradley, 2008)

Saussure’s Use of "Idiom" as a Polysemic Word (Constantin's Notebook I 11a-12a)

The Greek word "ιδίωμα" (idiōma) corresponds to the English term "idiom" (in French "idiome"), but its meaning extends beyond modern usage to encompass both linguistic and cultural customs. In ancient Greek, "ιδίωμα" referred to a unique characteristic or property of an individual or group, meaning both a distinctive linguistic feature and any unique trait or custom.

Saussure uses the term “idiom” in his lectures to describe language with special characteristics peculiar to a given people. By referencing the Greek word "ιδίωμα," which includes both linguistic and cultural customs, he reinforces the idea that language is a social phenomenon comparable to other cultural practices.

Language as a Cultural Custom

Saussure observed that different peoples have historically viewed language differences as akin to other cultural customs such as clothing, hairstyles, and weaponry. These are socially constructed and shared behaviors that distinguish one group from another. He emphasized in his lesson on "Languages and Geographical Diversity" that language, like these other customs, is a social construct rather than a biological trait. This distinction highlights his belief that language should be studied as a cultural phenomenon rather than a biological one, and consequently, it should be part of semiology, the study of signs.

Saussure's Semiological Turn

By distinguishing language from biological attributes and placing it alongside other cultural practices, Saussure suggests that the study of language should fall under semiology rather than anthropology. This approach aligns with his view of language as an arbitrary and conventional system of signs. Just as clothing and hairstyles are systems of signs conveying cultural meanings, language too is seen as a semiological system.

In his lesson on November 8, 1910, in alignment with his broader theoretical framework, Saussure positions the study of language within the field of semiology. By doing so, he emphasizes that language should be analyzed within the context of how signs are interpreted  in human societies, a perspective that underpins much of modern linguistic and semiological theory.

Conclusion

Polysemic words serve as powerful tools for thinkers aiming to articulate complex and often contradictory ideas. Abel's exploration of antithetical meanings, Freud's observations on dream interpretation, Derrida's concept of différance, and Saussure's use of the term "idiom" all demonstrate the versatility and depth that polysemy brings to language. By employing polysemic words, these thinkers have enriched our understanding of language as a dynamic, context-dependent system, ultimately reinforcing the view that language is a cultural phenomenon best studied within the framework of semiology.

Cite this text: 

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

Related Posts:

The Birth of Semiology: Saussure's Impact on Linguistics

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2023/09/blog-post_29.html

Kant, Saussure, and Derrida: Exploring the Interplay of Language

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2023/09/blog-post_14.html

Bibliography

Sigmund Freud. El Doble Sentido Antitético de las Palabras Primitivas.1910

Bradley, Arthur. Derrida’s Of Grammatology: An Edinburgh Philosophical Guide. Edinburgh University Press, 2008.

Derrida, Jacques. Of Grammatology. Corrected Edition. Translated by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997. Copyright © 1974, 1976, 1997 by The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Saussure, F. (1910-1911). Troisième cours de linguistique générale: d'après les cahiers d'Emile Constantin [Saussure's Third Course of Lectures on General Linguistics: From the Notebooks of Emile Constantin]. (R. Harris, Trans.) University of Oxford.1993