Understanding Language: Speaking, Writing, and Linguistic Sign Properties

Speaking vs. Writing: A Comparative Analysis

If you hastily answered which is easier, speaking or writing, consider this: it is generally more challenging to master writing. While all individuals acquire spontaneous speech naturally, writing demands dedicated teaching and learning. Overall, acquiring writing skills is a long, conscious, and voluntary process for both the teacher and the pupil.

Although the circumstances differ, the act of speaking itself is not physiologically simpler than writing. Speaking requires significant phonatory motor development, whereas writing necessitates manual motor skills. However, neither is inherently more or less difficult than the other. Similarly, visually discriminating is no more difficult than aurally discriminating. Ultimately, both require training and practice.

Key Properties of the Linguistic Sign

The linguistic sign possesses several fundamental properties:

• Arbitrariness

  First, the linguistic sign is arbitrary. This means the relationship between its meaning (the concept) and its signifier (the sound-image or written form) is not justified on objective grounds. There is no inherent reason why a specific sound sequence represents a particular concept.

• Linearity

  Second, it is linear. We cannot pronounce sounds simultaneously; instead, they must be chained successively as a temporal sequence. This sequential arrangement is fundamental to how language unfolds in time.

• Relativity

  Third, it is relative. The value of a linguistic sign is established in relation to other signs within a limited repertoire. All signs within this repertoire share a common basis but present specific differences. These linguistic codes vary from language to language, meaning that in each language, the value of a sign is set in relation to its specific repertoire.

• Negative Value

  Finally, the value of the sign is negative. Its significance derives not from its intrinsic qualities but from its distinction and mismatch with other signs in the system. What matters is what it is not, in contrast to other available signs.

Powers Enabling Language Use

Two primary powers allow us to effectively use language: Partnership and Coordination.

• Partnership

  Partnership refers to our ability to select the necessary elements from a linguistic directory. Within this directory, we choose and discard elements that are related to each other, forming the basis of our message.

• Coordination

  Once elements are selected, Coordination comes into play. We don't merely place parts of a message one after another; instead, we structure their dependency relationships within the message, ensuring coherence and meaning.

Mutability and Immutability of the Linguistic Sign

The linguistic sign is paradoxically both immutable and mutable.

Immutability: Why the Sign Resists Change (Relative to the User)

In relation to the individual user, the linguistic sign is largely immutable. There are several reasons for this:

1. Arbitrariness: The inherent arbitrariness of the sign protects it from constant discussion or arbitrary alteration. Since there are no objective reasons for its form, there's no objective basis for an individual to change it.
2. Systemic Nature: The sign is an integral part of a complex linguistic system. A change to one sign would ripple through and impact the entire organization of the system, potentially causing widespread disruption or"collateral damage"
3. Mental Character: The sign is deeply engraved in our memories, and this recording is largely indelible. While we can expand our inventory of signs by learning new words or concepts, it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to consciously eliminate signs that are already established in our minds.
4. Collective Inertia: There is a strong collective inertia against any individual-initiated change. Users are generally reluctant to alter their established speech habits because their intuition tells them that such changes could cancel or severely limit the communication possibilities of the language. Language relies on shared conventions.

Mutability: How Language Changes Over Time

However, language is undeniably mutable in relation to time. Time can and does change language, and these changes are often unavoidable as they occur outside our direct individual control. Many factors influence language change, including historical, political, social, and cultural developments. The very life of a language is profoundly conditioned by the history and evolution of each people who speak it.