signifikanten

Signifikanten is the plural form of Signifikant, a key concept in semiotic theory. In Saussurean linguistics, a linguistic sign consists of two parts: the Signifikant and the Signifikat. The Signifikant is the perceptible form of the sign—the sound pattern of spoken language, the printed letters, or any material trace that conveys meaning. The Signifikat is the mental concept or meaning that the sign represents.

The link between Signifikant and Signifikat is arbitrary and conventional. There is no inherent connection between a particular signifier and its concept; communities agree on associations through social usage. Signifikanten are differentiated through differences with other signifiers within a system, enabling distinctions such as between words like "cat" and "cot" in English.

Signifikanten can be acoustic, visual, or tactile, and they may include gestures or icons in broader sign systems. A sign may involve a single Signifikant or a sequence of Signifikanten forming more complex signs, such as phrases or written scripts. Across languages, Signifikanten vary, so the same Signifikat can have different signifikanten in different linguistic communities. Diachronic changes—sound shifts, shifts in spelling, or shifts in usage—also affect Signifikanten over time.

In analysis, researchers study how Signifikanten function within a larger sign system, how they evolve, and how context influences interpretation. The concept of Signifikanten is foundational for understanding how meaning is constituted in language and other sign systems, illustrating the distinction between form and content in signs.