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Signifier vs Signified
Signifier and signified are two words that are
commonly used in semiotics. The Swiss linguist
Ferdinand de Saussure was one of the
founders of semiotics. According to Saussure
theory of signs , signifier and signified make up
of signs. A sign is composed of both a material
form and a mental concept. The signifier is
the material form, i.e., something that can
be heard, seen, smelled, touched or tasted,
whereas the signified is the mental concept
associated with it. This the key difference
between signifier and signified.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is a Signifier
3. What is a Signified
4. What is the Relationship between
Signifier and Signified
4. Side by Side Comparison – Signifier vs
Signified
5. Summary
What is a Signifier?
All signs have a signifier and signified. The
signifier is the material form of the sign. This is
the element that we can see, hear, taste,
touch or smell. In other words, this is the
physical form of the sign. For example, think of
a red flag that is used to indicate danger. The
red flag itself can be described as a signifier.
Although we always associate the term sign
with road signs or warning signs, in semiotics,
signs can refer to something that can be
interpreted as having a meaning, which is
something other than itself. Therefore, any unit
of language can be also considered as signs
since they are used to designate objects or
phenomena of reality. The words we speak and
write can be called signifiers since they are the
material form of sign. However, a signifier
cannot exist without a signified. For example, if
the signs below have no signified concepts
associated with them, there is no use in these
signs; they would be just meaningless images.
Figure 1: Signifier is the physical form of the
Sign.
What is a Signified?
Signified is the mental concept associated with
a sign. In other words, it is the concept,
meaning or the thing associated with the
signified. If we look at a linguistic example, the
word “Closed” (in reference to the open and
close signs displayed at a shop), the sign
consists of,
Signifier: the word “Closed”
Signified Concept: The shop is closed for
business.
Figure 2: Relationship between Signifier and
Signified
What is the Relationship Between
Signifier and Signified?
A sign must always have both a signifier and a
signified. Saussure named the relationship
between signifier and signified as
‘ signification‘. However, it is also important to
notice that the same signifier can be used for
different concepts. This is because the
relationship between the signifier and the
signified is sometimes arbitrary. For example,
the word (signifier) pain has the meaning hurt,
agony or discomfort, but in French, it refers to
a loaf of bread. Signs can be classified into
three groups based on this relationship
between the signifier and the signified.
Types of Signs
Iconic Signs
The signifier and the signified bear a strong
physical resemblance, i.e., signifier resembles
what it stands for. For example, a picture of a
tree stands for the concept of the tree.
Indexical Signs
The signifier has some relation to the signifier.
It is in some way directly connected to the
concept. For example, an image of smoke may
represent a fire.
Symbolic Signs
There is no inherent relationship between the
signifier and the signified. This connection is
culturally learned. For example, the fact that
the sign of the cross is related to Christianity is
culturally learned since the two concepts have
no intrinsic relation.
What is the difference between
Signifier and Signified?
Signifier vs Signified
Signifier is a
sign’s physical
form.
Signified is the
meaning or idea
expressed by a sign.
Examples
Signifier can be
a printed word,
sound, image,
etc.
Signified is a
concept, object or
idea.
Relationship
A signified
cannot exist
without a
signifier.
A signifier without a
signified is noise (in
spoken language).
Summary – Signifier vs Signified
Signs are made up of both signifier and
signified. Signified is the sign’s physical or
material form whereas signified is the meaning
conveyed by the sign. However, the
relationship between a signifier and signified is
arbitrary since various signifiers can be used to
indicate the same signified concept.
Reference:
1.Chandler, Daniel. “Semiotics for
Beginners.” Stanley Kubrick Site. N.p., 07 Apr.
2014. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
2.”Signifier and Signified.” Changingminds.org.
N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2017.
Image Courtesy: Pixabay
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Filed Under: Language
Tagged With: Compare Signifier and
Signified , Iconic Signs , Indexical Signs,
Semiotics , signification , Signified , Signified
Definition, Signified Features , Signifier,
Signifier and Signified Differences , Signifier
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Signified Relationship, Signifier Definition,
Signifier Features , Signifier vs Signified ,
signs , Symbolic Signs, Types of Signs
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