Saussurean Sign

A Saussurean sign is a basic unit of language consisting of two parts: the "signifier," which is the physical form or sound of a word, and the "signified," which is the mental concept or meaning the word represents. For example, the word "tree" (signifier) evokes the idea of a woody plant with branches (signified). This relationship between signifier and signified is arbitrary and culturally learned, not naturally connected. The concept highlights how language functions as a system of signs where meanings are shaped by differences and relationships within the language itself.