賴玉釵

Yu-Chai Lai

Saussure ； 系統 ； 原型 ； 相對關係 ； 語言結構

Langue ； relations ； prototype ； Saussure ； langue ； system

Saussure對「語言結構」(langue)的定位，包含下列兩層面： 一是將語言結構視為「系統」。語言之所以能成一體系，乃因符號間彼此「對立」，而形成「關係」，既而織成一張符號的網絡。 從既定的相對關係中，我們可歸納出常模，來組織、變造語言。是而，語言結構的第二個向度為：它是「語言運作的規律」。如組合關係，便是這套規則的體現。 大體來看，語言結構／系統是因符號的相對特性，或是因組合、聯想關係，才能成一體系，恆常運作。

In the field of communication, the importance of the concept of langue, which was brought into attention by Saussure's seminal work on language, cannot be too much exaggerated,. But Saussure did not give a clear definition of langue. Based on my reading of Saussure, Ⅰ find that the concept 'langue' has two meanings. "Langue' may be seen as a 'system', in which its components, signs, are interdependent of each other. 'Langue' also refers to the rules governing language, such as the rule of combination. To sum up, langue is a network in which signs are linked to each other in various forms such as association, differentiation and combination.