Signifique

Signifique is a French word that most often appears as a present indicative form of the verb signifier, meaning to signify or to indicate. The exact form depends on the subject pronoun, for example: je signifie, tu signifiques, il/elle signifie, nous signifions, vous signifiez, ils signifient. In practice, the form signifiée is not a standalone word; rather, signifique is the ending that helps express who performs the action.

Etymology and meaning: signifier and its forms come from the French verb signifier, which in turn derives from Latin significare, meaning “to indicate, to point out.” The root signific- comes from signum (mark) and the suffix -icare, conveying the sense of making or indicating a sign. In French, signifier and signification are used in everyday language to express meaning or implication, with signification also serving as the noun for the concept of meaning.

Usage and examples: In everyday French, cela signifie cela or ce mot signifie “this word means …” The phrase cela signifie que … is used to indicate a conclusion or interpretation. While signifier is common in general language, it is also encountered in linguistic discussions about meaning, where it can be contrasted with related terms such as signifié (the signified) and signifiant (the signifier) in semiotics and structural linguistics.

Relation to semiotics: In semiotic theory, signifiant and signifié are technical terms that refer to the linguistic form and its concept, respectively. Signifie, as a conjugated form of signifier, is not itself a semiotic term but a grammatical form; the related noun signification denotes meaning, and the lexical pair signifiant/signifié plays a central role in analysis of signs.

See also: signification, signifiant, signifié, signification.