The Study On The Significational Mechanism Of Linguistic Sign

This thesis mainly studies the linguistic significational mechanism which refers to the generation of the meaning from the perspective of semiotics. The topic of meaning, is attracting more attention in the development of linguistics, and is the key problem in semiotics. Moreover, after the linguistic turn it has become the hotspot in all kinds of subjects, forming a variety of theories of meaning. We hold that the central theme of the past theories of meaning can be regarded as the problem of "what is the meaning", which considers the meaning as a certain and preexistent substance. These inquiries are the realized meaning, which is in use. On the basis of clarifying the problem of previous theories of meaning, this thesis mainly studies "how to generate the meaning". We follow Saussure and his methodological principle of the distinction between langue and parole, trying to build the significational mechanism from the perspective of language ontology and at the language and parole levels, based on the relationship between the two parts of linguistic sign, signifier and signified. The significational mechanism includes the two processes of symbolization in the language system and re-symbolization in the speech activities.The thesis consists of five parts:Chapter one is an introduction, briefly introducing the object and methods, the purpose and significance of this paper.Chapter two reviews the current research situation of the problem of meaning, and points out the problems and limitations in the current studies.Chapter three conducts a preliminary clarification of the problem in previous studies. By analyzing the related concepts such as intention and context, meaning and reference, signifier and signified, it clarifies the boundary of the problem of meaning, and defines the basic metalanguage of the meaning analysis.Chapter four focuses on the discussion of the complicated relationship of signifier and signified in the language system and the speech activities. By analyzing the processes of symbolization and re-symbolization, it tries to build the significational mechanism of linguistic sign.Chapter five draws a conclusion of the previous analysis.