Saussure on Terms, Values, Words and Meanings: Insights from Constantin's Notebooks

Introduction

In his lecture on June 30, 1911, Ferdinand de Saussure explores the intricate relationship between the value of terms and the meanings of words. His challenge lies in addressing the complex interplay among the concepts of term, value, word, meaning, concept, and auditory image. These closely interrelated concepts often seem interchangeable, yet Saussure insists on maintaining clear distinctions to avoid significant misunderstandings, as language depends on both similarities and differences:

"It (language) has no immediately perceptible entities. And yet one cannot doubt that they exist, or that the interplay of these units is what constitutes linguistic structure." (CGL 149)

Integrating Derrida's concept of 'hinge' into this discussion (signifying both a break or breach and a joint or link) will help illustrate the dual nature of linguistic units.

In this lesson, Saussure also critiques the nomenclaturist view of language, which treats words as mere labels for pre-existing concepts or things. He suggests that this perspective is overly simplistic and overlooks the relational nature of language. To delve deeper into these ideas, we will start by examining the relationship between the value of terms and the meanings of words.

Value of Terms and Meanings of Words

Glossary (English-French):

• Term (Fr. terme)
• Value (Fr. valeur)
• Word (Fr. mot)
• Meaning/Sense (Fr. sens/signification)
• Concept/Meaning/Signified (Fr. concept/signification/signifié)
• Auditory Image/Signifier (Fr. image auditive/signifiant)

Saussure begins by explaining that where there are terms, there are also values, indicating that value is inherent in the concept of a term. However, distinguishing between value and term can be challenging:

"Where there are terms, there are also values. The idea of value is tacitly implied in that of term. Always hard to keep these two ideas apart." (Constantin's Notebook X 134a)

Here, the concept of "brisure" can be invoked to illustrate how words act as hinges, linking yet distinguishing different aspects of linguistic meaning.

He further explains that value is closely related to term and indistinguishable from meaning:

"When you speak of value, you feel it <here> becomes synonymous with sense (meaning) and that points to another area of confusion (<here the confusion> will reside more in the things themselves/les choses elles-mêmes)." (Constantin's Notebook X 134a).

Saussure further emphasizes that while value is an element of meaning, it is crucial to avoid equating meaning solely with value. He considers this distinction subtle but essential in linguistics, as this perspective sharply contrasts with the simplistic view that treats language merely as a nomenclature (a system of names for things):

"It is perhaps one of the most subtle points there is in linguistics, to see how sense depends on but nevertheless remains distinct from value. On this the linguist's view and the simplistic view that sees the language as a nomenclature differ strikingly." (Constantin's Notebook X 134a).

Meaning as the Counterpart of Signifiers and Signs

As the lesson progresses, Saussure delves into meaning or concept within the signified/signifier framework, where meaning (the signified) pairs with an auditory image (the signifier) to form a linguistic sign (Fig.1). A word appears as an isolated unit, internally consisting of a signifier and its corresponding signified:

"In this view, the meaning is the counterpart of the auditory image and nothing else. The word appears, or is taken as, an isolated, self-contained whole; internally, it contains the auditory image having a concept as its counterpart." (Constantin's Notebook X 134a)

However, the paradox is that the meaning (signified) of a word is interconnected with other terms within the language system. While it initially seems that there is no relation between the signified paired with the signifier and the signified influenced by other linguistic signs, the value of a word is determined by its coexistence with other terms in the language system (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2):

"The paradox - in Baconian terms the trap in the cave - is this: the meaning, which appears to us to be the counterpart of the auditory image, is just as much the counterpart of terms coexisting in the language." (Constantin's Notebook X 135a).

Derrida's concept of "brisure" captures this hinge-like nature of linguistic units, showing how meaning (or concept or signified) acts as a counterpart both to the auditory image and to other terms in the linguistic chain.

The Dual Nature of Language

Saussure concludes by emphasizing that the meaning of a word cannot be understood by considering only the linguistic sign in isolation. Instead, it must be considered within the series of similar terms in which it is nested:

"You can never find the meaning of a word by considering only the exchangeable item, but you have to compare the <similar> series of comparable words." (Constantin's Notebook X 136a)

The relationship between the signified (meaning) and the signifier (the exchangeable item) is not sufficient; the word's value is ultimately determined by the contributions of coexisting terms that define it. Its meaning is shaped by what exists around it, either in syntagmatic or associative relations. To understand a word's meaning, one must approach it from the perspective of the entire language system and the coexisting terms:

"You cannot take words in isolation. This is how the system <to which the term belongs> is one of the sources of value. It is the sum of comparable terms set against the idea exchanged. The value of a word can never be determined except by the contribution of coexisting terms which delimit it: <or, to insist on the paradox already mentioned:> what is in the word is only ever determined by the contribution of what exists around it. (What is in the word is the value.) Around it syntagmatically or around it associatively. You must approach [it (corr.)] <the word> from outside by starting from the system and coexisting terms." (Constantin's Notebook X 136a)

Conclusion

Saussure's exposition on the value of terms and the meanings of words underscores the necessity of distinguishing between these interrelated yet distinct concepts. While terms inherently possess value and value can appear synonymous with meaning, they are not identical. This distinction is crucial in linguistics, as it highlights the inadequacy of the nomenclaturist view which simplistically equates language to a system of names for things leaving out its relational character.

Meaning emerges from both the signifier-signified relationship within individual linguistic signs and the complex web of associations among coexisting terms in the language system. By integrating Derrida's concept of "brisure," we appreciate the dual nature of linguistic signs, defined by their internal components and their relationships within the language system. Moreover, this hinge-like nature can also be perceived when considering that the concepts of term, value, word, meaning and auditory images are, on the one hand, so closely interrelated that they often seem interchangeable. On the other hand, they need to be kept apart for language to exist, as it depends on contrast for its existence.

By viewing these concepts through the lens of "brisure," we can appreciate the complexity and depth of the language mechanism, where meaning and value emerge from the dynamic interplay of connected yet separate elements. This approach advances our understanding of Saussure's theories and their implications for linguistics.

Related Post:

Core Meaning and the Dynamics of Presence and Absence in Linguistics: A Differential Approach

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2024/07/blog-post_20.html

Terra Incognita: Revisiting Terms, Values, Words, and Meanings

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2024/07/blog-post_26.html

Bibliography

Saussure, Ferdinand de. "Course in General Linguistics." Translated and annotated by Roy Harris. With a new introduction by Roy Harris. Bloomsbury, 2013.

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.

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

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.