Double articulation

The term two-fold division ( also: double outline ) called in linguistics and semiotics, the property of a sign system to be composed of meaningful and meaningless distinctive units.

Term

A sign system is two- jointed, when basing message is structured as follows:

1 The message consists of printout units, each of which carries a meaning. Such a unit is called significative ( " meaningful supporting"). This is the first outline.

2 Each significative unit is composed of expression units which carry no meaning, but differ only meaning. Such a unit is called distinctive ( " meaningless distinctive "). This is the second structure.

In the sentence in January works occur three significative units: Jan ( "Jan" ), labor (" dutifully be working for livelihood " ) and et ( " 3rd person singular present "). The significative unit Jan is composed of three distinctive units: / j /, / a /, / n /.

Any natural human spoken language has the two-fold division. The smallest significative units called morphs or morphemes; the smallest distinctive units called Phone or phonemes.

The twofold structure guarantees of human spoken language the Effabilität, di the opportunity to say anything thinking and Communicable. Additionally, animal communication systems, as far as known to date, no double structure and no Effabilität.

The dual structure of human language is not to be confused with the two sides of the voice character, the significans (expression) and Significatum ( content or meaning). Based on this distinction, the two-time structure an outline of significans.

Conceptual history

André Martinet introduced in 1949 the concept of a two-fold structure and coined the French term double articulation. This is often translated as double articulation into German. Both components of this translation miss what is meant: First, it 's not about articulation ( pronunciation of speech sounds ), and secondly, it is not a double structure, but a structure on two levels.