The 5 differences between meaning and signifier

These two concepts are widely used in linguistics and explain how language works.

The ability to communicate is fundamental to being human. Being able to express information to others in a way that they can understand and being able to understand what others may be saying to us allows us to maintain contact and coexistence with others. In fact, not only humans, but also many other animals need to be able to establish relationships in which mutual understanding is paramount. For this we use a series of symbolic elements that serve as a representation of what we want to communicate.

In a technical way, we can say that we use signifiers to communicate meanings. What are these two terms? What are the differences between meaning and signifier? Let's talk about it in this article.

A definition of these concepts of linguistics.

In order to establish the existence of differences between meaning and signifier we must first determine what each of these concepts is.

Meaning

As far as meaning is concerned, the concept behind this term is well known to most people, and it is a word that is widely used in our daily lives.

We understand the meaning of something as the idea that is intended to be expressed through an element. That is to say, if language is a symbolic element, the meaning would be that which is to be symbolized or represented by means of a word or symbol.. Said in a single word, it is the concept.

Thus, if we use the word dog, the word in question is nothing more than a symbol through which we arrive at the concept or idea that we have of a canid. The meaning is the idea in question, what we refer to when we express something. The represented thing.

Signifier

While the term signified is common in the language of most people and the concept to which it refers is generally clear, the same is not true when we speak of the signifier. And yet, it is the only thing that we really perceive through the senses when we communicate with each other..

We call a signifier that stimulus or element that we use in order to refer to a certain concept. We would be talking about the physical and sensorially perceptible part: the sign.

It is important to keep in mind that the signifier can appear in very diverse modalities: it is possible to use language at the oral level to produce signifiers that the listener can perceive through hearing, but we can also generate written words. These two are the main means we usually think of when we talk about signs for communication, but they are not the only ones. It is possible to imbue gestures with a differentiated meaning, as is the case, for example, in sign language.

Drawings or even abstract symbols can also be used as long as they convey an idea that can be understood. Even the drawing of symbols on the skin could be used to convey meaning through touch.

With this we can see that the possibilities for generating signifiers for a concept or meaning are practically unlimited, and any sensory modality can be used as long as it can be used as a communicative element with its own meaning.

Main differences between meaning and signifier

Having seen a brief definition of each of the two concepts, it may be easy to observe the main difference between signifier and signified. However, we must bear in mind that in reality we are between two concepts that, although they refer to different aspects, need each other in order to exist.

Without signifier we would not be able to refer to somethingWithout a signifier we would not be able to refer to something, while without meaning the words or elements that form the signifier would be of no use whatsoever.

Fundamental difference: what is it?

And while the signifier refers to the way of naming or referring to a certain thing, the signified refers to the concept, object or entity to which we intend to refer with the signifier.

2. Different nature

Another difference that can be commented on with respect to signified and signifier is their nature: the signified is a construct, an idea that represents a reality but which in itself has no physical component although the concept does refer to it. On the other hand, the signifier is purely physical, being the expressed representation of the concept through a symbolic element. through a symbolic element such as the word..

3. Signifier-signified proportionality

The relationship between signifier and signified tends to be unequal: although the same signifier can refer to different concepts depending on the situation, intentionality or context in which it is produced, as a general rule we observe that the most frequent thing is that the same signified has multiple signifiers that refer to it. We would be talking about polysemy in the first case and synonymy in the second..

4. Temporal variability

Another possible difference, which we have mentioned in the previous explanation, has to do with its relative temporal invariance.

The meaning behind a signifier, as a general rule and due to the fact that it is an idea, tends to remain relatively stable (although there may be changes depending on the understanding of the concept itself) over time.

However, language evolves and flows at great speed.The meaning of a word is a signifier, with different ways of expressing the same thing coming into being and dying out. Thus, the signifiers that refer to a meaning tend to vary as the way of expressing it evolves, being much more unstable.

5. Transculturality

In addition to the above, we can find another difference with regard to the variations that exist depending on culture or location. Thus, the same concept will have the same meaning in different countries and locations, the same concept will have in different countries and in different languages very different ways of expression. Although in this sense we should also be very cautious, because not only the signifier can vary: the same concept can be interpreted in very different ways. For example, love, courage, loyalty, family or work can have very different connotations depending on the culture.

Likewise, a concrete concept may not even exist in certain cultures, something that makes it impossible to understand words linked to it. This does not mean, however, that it is not possible to generate the understanding of a concept or meaning through signifiers linked to other nearby meanings.