Signifikant

Signifikant is a term found in semiotics and linguistics, especially in German-language scholarship, used to denote the observable form of a sign within Saussure's sign theory. It is the equivalent of the signifier in English-language discussions, while its paired term Signifikat corresponds to the signified, the concept or meaning associated with the sign.

In a sign, the Signifikant is the material form—such as a spoken sound pattern, a written word, or a gesture—that communicates a meaning within a language system. The Signifikat is the mental concept or the object or idea that is being referred to. The relationship between Signifikant and Signifikat is arbitrary and conventional, dependent on social agreement rather than intrinsic connection, a core idea of structural linguistics.

Historically, Signifikant and Signifikat appear in German translations of Saussure and in later semiotic literature that adopts the German terminology. In English, the corresponding terms are Signifier and Signified; some scholars use Signifikant and Signifikat to discuss the same duality, especially when comparing translation traditions.

Today, the term Signifikant remains primarily of historical interest for readers of German semiotics. In contemporary analyses, the concept it represents is usually described using Signifier and Signified, Signifier often bridging disciplines such as linguistics, semiotics, anthropology, and media studies.

See also: Ferdinand de Saussure, sign, signified, signifier, semiotics.