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Unit 2 Part 1 Discussion

Part 1 Discussion

Q 1. Why does Saussure make a distinction between “la langue” and “la parole” (language and speech)? 2. What does he mean by the “arbitrary nature of the sign” and why does he create a distinction between the signifier and the signified? 3. What does Saussure mean when he says, “in language there are only differences, without positive terms”?

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According to Saussure’s explanation, parole means “speech” whereas langue means language. To be more precise, la parole means is speaking and la langue means to language. It is said that la langue is minus la parole which means speech itself. Ferdinand de Saussure has mentioned in his theory that the entire sign system is arbitrary because there seems to be no natural relation between a sign and its meaning. Moving the hand means waving and this sign got its meaning because humans linked them together. It has got no natural connections from the start which is what he has tried to mention here. If observed more closely it can be said that Saussure wanted to point out that there was no proper connection between the signifier and the signified.