Question

Who defines language as a system of signs?

• A. Benjamin Whorf
• B. Saussure
• C. Roman Jakobson
• D. Bloomfield

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Saussure

Ferdinand de Saussure defined language as a system of signs, where each sign consists of:

• Signifier: the form of the word or expression (sound/image)

• Signified: the concept it represents

This idea is central to semiotics and structuralist linguistics, emphasizing that meaning arises from the relationships between signs in a system, not from any inherent connection to reality.