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1. Introduction
Ferdinand de Saussure was a pioneer in the modem study of language. His theory, particularly his model of the linguistic sign, provides a coherent, if not fully convincing, description of the mechanism of language, outlining the role of the entire linguistic system in shaping the words and concepts that combine to form the units of which language is composed. Saussure begins his first chapter on the general principles of linguistics with the observation that "some people regard language, when reduced to its elements, as a namingprocess only-a list of words, each corresponding to the thing that it names"(Saussure, 1910-1911: 65). His elaboration of an alternative to this "rather naïve" approach to language may be seen as an overriding theme of his Course in General Linguistics. Saussure's alternative to the "naïve" assumptions comprises a set of linguistic units defined not only by their signification (the association of a concept and its signifier), but, more importantly, by the nature of the entirely relative portion of value each gains through its function as a member of a complete value-driven linguistic system. This notion of value as distinct from signification is crucial to Saussure's linguistic model.
My analysis presents a critical reading of Saussure's argument as expounded in his posthumously assembled, Course in General Linguistics. Particular attention is paid to Saussure's notion of value as a distinct regulating mechanism in the linguistic system and the consequences of this on the signification. It challenges Saussure's contention that signification and value can be understood as both distinct and meaningful aspects of the linguistic sign, arguing on the contrary, that these notions are better understood as features of a single, unified principle, and evaluating the consequences of such a view on Saussure's model. The contributions of a number of poststructuralists are discussed in terms of their implications for Saussure's model of the sign, leading to a synthesis in which a novel conception of the sign and its function-one that places it in a more dynamic middle ground -is proposed.
2. Genesis of the Dyadic Sign
The model of the dyadic sign finds the genesis of signs in a primordial swamp of chaotic thoughts and sounds-where "nothing is distinct before the appearance of language" (Saussure 1910-1911: 112) and where nothing yields...