Saussure, Peirce, and the Chinese Picto-Phonetic Sign

Document Type

Journal article

Source Publication

American Journal of Semiotics

Publication Date

1-1-2007

Volume

23

First Page

67

Last Page

79

Publisher

Philosophy Documentation Center

Abstract

Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce are two founding fathers of modern semiotics but, up until fairly recently, their theories have fared differently on the mainland of China, with the former canonized in university textbooks and the latter banished from academic discussion for political reasons. What this article tries to show is that, thanks to its picto-phonetic origin, the Chinese language lends itself particularly well to theorization from the Peircean perspective, hence the importance of embracing his trichotomous approach to language and other types of signs.

DOI

10.5840/ajs2007231/47

Print ISSN

02777126

Publisher Statement

Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.

Full-text Version

Publisher’s Version

Language

English

Recommended Citation

Ding, E. (2007). Saussure, peirce, and the chinese picto-phonetic sign. American Journal of Semiotics, 23, 67-79.

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