Question

What is a sign?

• A. A combination of signifier and signified
• B. A combination of words and phrases
• C. A naming process to words
• D. A word formation technique

Answer 1

Answer:

A. A combination of signifier and signified

📌 According to Ferdinand de Saussure, a sign is made up of:

• Signifier → the form or sound pattern of a word (what we hear or see)

• Signified → the concept or idea that the form represents

Together, these form a linguistic sign, the basic unit of meaning in language.

📝 Example:

• The word tree (sound pattern /triː/) = signifier

• The concept of an actual tree = signified