ON THE LINGUISTIC SIGN ASYMMETRY
Asymmetry is a
wide-ranging phenomenon that manifests itself in various ways. Linguistics is one of its fields of expression.
The paper deals with
the theory of the linguistic sign and its asymmetry from the point of view of
different scientists. One of the founders of Geneva Linguistic School
S.O.Kartzevsky (1884-1955) was the first to create a solid theory of the
asymmetric dualism of the linguistic sign. In his article the author managed to
reveal the reasons for rising (origin) of the asymmetry and could also found
the pure linguistic sources of
provenance of the homonymy and
synonymy. His following words are of great importance nowadays too: “Homophony
is a common occurrence while homonymy is its peculiar display (or: manifestation).
Homonymy is usually displayed in the conceptual aspect of the language. In this
aspect it (homonymy) can be opposed by another phenomenon – heterophony, i.e.
synonymy of concepts. However, it is nothing more than the two sides of one
principle. This principle can be generalized in the following theory: any
linguistic sign is a potential homonym and a synonym at a time… Such a logical
conclusion proceeds from the distinguishing feature of a sign. Moreover, any
linguistic sign must carry such a feature. Otherwise, it will not differ from
the signal [Kartzevsky, 24-25].”
Further, the author
states that homonyms in their character are more psychological, than logical.
And the logical character is more inherent to synonyms. The author’s ideas
concerning the grammatical and semantic transpositions have also had a great
significance. In S.O.Kartzevsky’s opinion the following assumption accounts for
arising the linguistic sign asymmetry: the signifying has a tendency to fulfill
other functions besides its own core, primary ones. And the signified has a
tendency to be expressed by various other means besides its own marks.
The concepts of
symmetry/asymmetry initially being philosophical categories were first put in a
certain system in the XIX th century on the material of crystallography. And in
the same field the types of asymmetry were defined. Later symmetry/asymmetry
ideas found access to such sciences as geometry, physics and etc. Linguistics
began using these ideas, as it is stated above, thanks to the efforts made by S.O.Kartzevsky.
A sign and a meaning, a
form and a content are not always completely balanced. Because in some cases the same sign or form
fulfils several functions, i.e. has
different meanings, and the same meaning or content can be conveyed by means of
several signs or forms. This phenomenon is formed as the theory of linguistic
asymmetry.
As the author V.G.Gak
writes, if there were not a linguistic sign asymmetry, there wouldn’t be a
theoretical linguistics too. And all the arguments and disputes upon the
linguistics would be reduced to a minimum. Symmetry (gr. symmetria) is defined as conformity, proportionality, coincidence
and etc. It expresses in a broad sense such notions as invariability,
immutability and serves as a basis for conservation laws [SED 1980, 1219].
Simplifying presented ideas, we can say
that symmetry is the manifestation of orderliness, right sequence, permanency
and constancy among the objects and phenomena of the objective reality.
According to the
sources, the asymmetry is defined as the absence of the symmetry. Thus the
asymmetry can be fixed as an infringement of orderliness, permanency and constancy [SED, 84; Gak 2000, 54]. As
written by Gak, asymmetry can be observed in the following two cases: a) in
distinguishing a centre (core) and a periphery and b) in distinctions of the signifying and the signified. From the point
of view of the language structure the centre (core) consists of the primary
phonemes, word-forming, word-changing, word-combining models mostly used in the
period to which the development of the language belongs. The periphery is the
deviation from these models. The asymmetry of the signifier and the signified can
be seen on the level of a system, a structure and a function. System asymmetry
is mainly observed in irregular development of the language links and in
paradigm anomaly of some words [LED, 47].
Chapter IV of the
fundamental work “The Theoretical Grammar of the French Language” by V.G.Gak is devoted to the problem of
asymmetry in the grammar. As the author
states, each level and section of the language should be divided into central
(core), standard, main and peripheral elements. The center↔periphery
correlation can be seen in structural, semantic and functional aspects of the
language. Gak’s theory says, in structural aspect the centre comprises the
primary word-changing and word-forming models, whereas the periphery is the
deviation from these models and standards.
This idea is illustrated by means of the following example on the
formation of the plural form in the French language: if adding the ending -s to the stem of the word is the
main and primary way of getting the plural form, then other ways of getting this form (œil – yeux, travail –
travaux ) belong to peripheral layer of the language. A sample of the same
type can be taken from the English language too: primary ways – book-books, hand-hands; secondary ways –
foot-feet, ox-oxen, child-children
and etc.
In categorical-semantic
aspect the typical forms and meanings make up the centre and intermediate ones
make up the periphery. In the sphere of the verb its finite forms are
considered to be central, while its non-finite forms (Infinitive, Participle,
Gerund) are peripheral. This is for the peripheral forms of the verb (Infinitive,
Participle, Gerund) besides the verbal ones have also the characteristic
peculiarities of other parts of speech. It can be illustrated by means of a
scheme:
Infinitive Participle
Gerund
Noun Adjective Noun
According to V.G.Gak
the asymmetry of a form (F) and a content (C) can be observed in syntagmatic,
paradigmatic, and semiotic aspects. The
asymmetry of a form and a content comes out when the form elements and the
content elements are not equal in their quantity. In this case either the form
elements are more than the content elements, or vice versa. According to Gak’s
theory in syntagmatic aspect a form and a content must coincide as symmetry
requires. And this concept is
described in the following table:
content C1 C2 C3
This
opinion is confirmed with the help of the following example:
lexical meaning adjective
feminine plurality
nation- -al-
-e-
-s
The violation of the
parallelism in the syntagmatic aspect results in the asymmetry of the two
kinds: a) synthetic; b) analytical:
C1+C2
C3
In a paradigmatic aspect the correlations of units of the form
and content plans are symmetric. One form corresponds to one meaning. It is
illustrated in the following way:
form plan F1________________C1 content plan
F2________________C2
As a result of breach of this proportionality two kinds of
the asymmetry can occur: polysemy and synonymy. And the scheme of the idea
looks like this:
(in a broad plan) (in a broad plan)
that
is to say
C2
F2
The equal correlation of a
form and a content results in symmetry in the semiotic aspect:
F----------------C
But interruption of one
side of this concept of symmetry(F or C) can cause two kinds of asymmetry:
zero form Ø______________C
blank form F______________Ø
In a zero form there is
no sign or indicator of a meaning.
If a form doesn’t
correspond to any element of the reality a blank form may occur, i.e. the form
loses its meaning and its semantic value.
Functional asymmetry
can be caused by expressing one meaning with the help of different forms and by
using one form to express different meanings. For example, in the tense system
of the English language a future action, and consequently a future time, can be
expressed in more than one way (Future Indefinite, Future Continuous, Present
Continuous and some word combinations):
I will go there tomorrow; I’m going there tomorrow; I’ll be doing my work tomorrow; I’m on the point of leaving; I’m about to leave and etc. And one form
may express different meanings: He can’t
see you tomorrow, he is meeting his
parents and He is meeting his parents
now at the airport.
Generalizing all stated
above we conclude, the philosophical categories of symmetry/asymmetry
constitute a dialectical unity on the strength of which in a linguistic science
they are investigated in indivisibility and interdependence. Such an approach
to a consideration of these two linguistic phenomena makes for the deeper
knowledge of the language structure, affords an opportunity of explaining the
dynamic stability of the given structure and its willingness to changes.
LITERATURE USED:
1. S.O.Karcevskiy, On the asymmetric dualism of the linguistic sign//”Travaux
du Cercle linguistique de Prague”, I, 1929.
2. V.G.Gak, The theoretical grammar of the French language. – M.: Dobrosvet, 2000.
P. 831.
3. Soviet Encyclopaedic Dictionary, -M.: Soviet Encyclopaedia, 1980, p.
1219.
4. Linguistic Encyclopaedic Dictionary, -M.: Soviet Encyclopaedia, 1990. P.
682.