任意性和象似性之争中被混淆术语.docVIP

任意性和象似性之争中被混淆术语摘 要：本文讨论了语言符号任意性和象似性之争中被混淆的符号、所指、能指等术语。为了更准确地理解这些术语，文章进一步提出后索绪尔语言符号三元假说。文章在最后指出，任意性和象似性并非对立的概念，二者并存。任意性仍然是语言符号的根本属性，象似性为语言学研究提供了一种新的探索和分析方法。 关键词：任意性；象似性；符号 中图分类号：H313 文献标识码：A 文章编号：1009-0118（2012）08-0298-04 1.Introduction The past two or three decades witness a hot argument over arbitrariness and iconicity in China. Arbitrariness supporters such as Wang Dechun, Suo Zhenyu and Guohong are behind Saussure whereas iconicity supporters who hold the view that the linguistic signs are motivated or iconic include Xu Guozhang, Shen Jiaxuan and Wangying. The other scholars in the middle-road such as Zhu Yongsheng has made efforts to explain what on earth Arbitrariness should be. Proceeding from the explicit, systemic preview and explanation on both Saussure?s original idea about arbitrariness and Peirce?s triadiality, the paper will discuss the relevant terms and notions confused in arguments over arbitrariness and iconicity. Particularly, the fact the term signified has been confused caused the argument. It is finally pointed out that the term iconicity is not opposed to the one arbitrariness. Arbitrariness still defends its title of the first principle of linguistic signs while iconicity provides a new linguistic methodology with a wide coverage in terms of the term sign. 2.Saussure?s Arbitrariness and Peirce?s Triadiality 2.1 What is the Arbitrariness Saussure Refers to? 2.1.1 Linguistic Sign, Signified and Signifier In Course in General Linguistics, Saussure elaborated the nature of linguistic sign. A linguistic sign is defined as the combination of a concept and a sound pattern, but not a link between a thing and a name. The term “signification” and “signal” is proposed to utilize to respectively refer to “concept” and “sound pattern”. In his lecture on 19th May, 1911, he introduced the new term “signified” and “signifier” to refer to “concept” and “sound pattern”. What is more important, the term sign here doesn?t refer to the sound pa