Glossematics and Contemporary Linguistic Theory Louis Hjelmslev
Selected Bibliography Albert Sechehaye: Programme et méthodes de la linguistique fchfeorique. 1908 F. de Saussure: Cours de linguistique gén&rale. 1916 {and later editions). Edward Sapir: Language, 1921. Leonard Bloomfield: Language, 1933. Karl Buebler: Sprachtheorie. 1934. Karl Buehlers Die Asdomatik der Sprachwissenschaften, Kantstudien 38.1933., N., Trubetskoys Grundruege der Phonologic. Travaux du CercIe'Snguistique de Prague 7, 1939. French translation (with additions]”by Gassteaea«? Principe s de phonologie, Roman Jakobson, G., Fant, M. Halle: Preliminaries to Speech Analysis. 1952. Recent works by Zelllg S. Harris, Charles F. Hockett, Kenneth L. Pike, Jeray Kuryiowica, and others. Glossematics: Louis Hjelmslev: Prolegomena to a Theory of Language. Translated by Francis J. Whitfield. {Supplement to SJAL vol. 19 no. 1. = Indiana University Publications in Anthropology and Linguistics, Memoir 7.) 1953. {New edition forthcoming. - Original Danish version published in 1943.) {Abbreviation: P.) Louis Hjelmslev: Essais linguistique3. fravaux du Cercle linguistique de Copenhague 12. 1959. {Collected papers in French and in English, with a complete bibliography of the publications of Louis Hjelmslev.) {Abbrev.: E.) pp. 27-35: Structural Analysis of Language {first published in 1948; a presentation of the most general principles of Glossematics), Louis Hjelm slev, H. J. Uldall: Outline of Glossematics. Part 1: General Theory, by H. J. Uldall. Travaux du Cercle linguistique de Copenhague 10, 1. 1957.. (pp~~ 1-35: General Principles, pp, 36-87: Glossematic Algebra. (Abbr.: CG<)
2Analytical Procedure (Lectures 1, 2)«
Zj Functions (Lectures 1, 2, 3, 5). P 20-25.
function (a (j> b) i relation (fa R bj) 1 correlation (a:b) J ✓ cohesion s determination (v*-*c, c<-<v) I selection 1 fv->ct C«-v) 1 specification J fv c„ c -|v) reciprocity interdependence (Cv*c) 1 1 solidarity | {C oj c) 1 1 complementarity | ((c _|_ c) constellation (v N 1 v) J combination (v - v| | autonomy (v “f- v|
analysis if division?) : description of an object by the uniform depen- dences of other objects on it and on each other.
^ function: dependence that fulfills the conditions for an analysis. (Otherwises OG 36.) Cf EL 114. relation: both-and function. (In OG 42 this is called connexion.)
correlation: either-or function. ((In UG i>i tnis is called jecjui valence and has a different formal definition.]) functive: object that has function to other objects. constant fc): functive whose presence is a necessary condition for the presence of the functive to which it has a function. variable (vj: functive whose presence is not a necessary condition for the presence of the functive to which it has a functi on. determination: function between a constant and a variable. selection: determination between relates. specification: determination between correlates. interdependence: functi on between two constants. solidarity: interdependence between relates.
3eorogle men tar i fey ; Interdependence between correlates.
cohesion (formerly called connexion); function among whose fane- tives appear, one or more constants* The eonstantfs) can be said to be presupposed by the functive(s) with which they have a cohesion. constellation; function between two variables.
combination; constellation between relates. autonomy; constellation between correlates. reciprocity! function containing either only constants or only variables.
absence of function between objects.
catalysis ( * ): registration of cohesions through the replacement of one '/relatively smaller/ entity by another (larger entity) to which it has substitution (for substitution, sea below).
Example: isolated subordinate clause ("if K had money ...")> larger entity consisting of this subordinate clause —* an encatalyssed category of principal clauses ("I would go to the pictures", "I would buy a car", etc. etc.) In particular cases where the speech situation or situation context permits adding one definite constant (in the example chosen: one definite principal clause, e.g., "I would buy a car") instead of the whole category of possible constants, the category is said to be resolved, and the catalysis is replaced by an ordinary ante rpolati on.
class: object that is subjected to analysis. segments: objects that are registered by a single analysis as uniformly dependent on the class and on each other. Segments thus are the resultants of an analytical operation.
synthesis: description of an object as a segment of a class. A class is said to be generated by the function between its segments, hierarchy; class of classes.
4process for sequence); relational hierarchy. system: correlational hierarchy.
whose structure is fundamentally similar to that of languages, called a semiotic. (These ternuare correlational only, see below.) A semiotic process is called a syntagmatic. A linguistic syntagmatic is called a text. A semiotic system is called a paradigmatic. A linguistic paradigm matic is called a language. A process consists of chains. Chains that are generated by a defi~ nite relation are called units. Examples; A complex independent clause (sentence) can through
a synthesis be shown to be a unit generated by the selec- tion between a modulation (often manifested by an intona - tion) as the constant and the rnodulafcion~theme as the variant. This is a practical glossematic definition of a synthetic independent clausa (sentence).
A complex modulation-theme can through a synthesis be shown to be a unit generated by the selection between a "principal clause" as the constant and 'subordinate elause(s)’ as the variable. A syllable can through a synthesis be shown to be a unit generated by the selection between an accent (often manifested by a degree of stress or by a particular pitch) as the constant and the accent-theme for syllabic theme) as the variable. This is a practical glossematic tion of a (synthetic) syllable.
A syllabic theme is, in its turn, generated by the selection
(often manifested by contoid clusters (or simple confcoids) and vocoid clusters for simple vocoids), respectively).
A system consists of paradigms. Paradigms that are generated by a definite correlation are called categories. - Paradigms (and categories) may be represented graphically by vertical columns,
5S'
forming a right angle with the chain,, so that each member of a paradigm can be said to take the same "place" in the chain as
the other members of the same paradigm (cp. the single pic-
tures in a moving film-strip). Direction (and government): E 139-164. (Lecture 6) Commutation and Substitution. Content Plane and .Expression Plane. (Lectures 1, 2, 4.) The commutation test is carried out within one and the same paradigm (or category, respectively). Glossematics does not start from minimal elements (e.g., "phoneme 8'j)(cf. _1: Analytical Procedure) but from the largest possible chains. Thus, there is no dis- tributlonal procedure required. If the replacement of one member of a paradigm in one plane of the language (content plane or expression plane) can entail some replacement in the opposite plane (expression plane or content plane, respectively), then the two members are recognised as commufcables (invariants) or as having mutual commutation (symbol: ; ). If the replacement of one member of a paradigm in one plane of the language cannot entail a replacement in the opposite plane, then the two members are recognized as substitutables ((variants) or as having mutual substitution (symbol: inverted semicolon J). Examples: Commutation in the content: “he" ; 'she* in English (expressed by he, she) 'he' * "she1 in Chinese (expressed by«tha:), Finnish
(expressed by hMn), Hungarian (expressed by 6s) Commutation in the expression: s ; z in English _s i z in Danish b in English £ i b in Finnish
P 46-47, 25-38. E 36= 68, 82 = 88, 89-95, 96=112, 121=2. A syncretism (neutralization) is the result of a suspended commuta- tion. Syncretisms are either coalescences (as £/_b in Danish at the end of a syllable, and similarly in Russian) or implications (e.g. the mechanical replacement of z by s in English in cases like "cats", "puts").
6The two planes have mutual solidarity. A sign consists of a sign content and a sign expression with mutual combination (allowing for the existence of synonyms and homonyms). - A sign expression corresponds to what in eon- ventional terminology is known as a ’’form", and to what in Prague terminology and in ordinary American terminology is known as a "morpheme". 4. 01:1:0 and. Substance (lectures 3, 6). E 27-81., P 31-2, 34-5, 47-51, 61-2, 65-8. manifestation; selection between hierarchies and between derivates (segments and segment s~of» segments) of different hierarchies. form; the constant in a manifestation. substance; the variable in a manifestation. The content substance is of semantic nature. The expression substance is of phonic, graphic .. . nature. Note that, accord- ing to glossematics, phonemes, as well as phones, belong to the expression substance, whereas substitutables in both planes belong to the form. Content substance, content form, expression form, and expression substance are called the four strata. -usage; any relation between different strata and between parts of different strata. J5. Exhaustive Description (Lecture 4). P 62 6. Synchronic and Genetic Linguistics (Lecture 4). E 19-20
Genetic Linguistics is divided into diachronies (change of elements) and metachronics (change of systems). - Genetic ("historical") Linguistics is of a descriptive nature (like any scientific treatment).
7Genetic functions; The function between linguistic states, con- sidered as evolutionary stages, is a specification, with the relatively older stage as the constant. - The functions be- tween coordinate, mutually genetically related linguistic states are combination and complementarity. 7. General Typological Calculus (Lecture 4$. The function between a relatively special and a relatively general type of semiotic is a selection, with the relatively general type as the constant. » The function between different types of one and the same hierarchic stage is a complementarity., 8. Denotation and Connotation. (Lecture 4).
P 73-6 A connotative semiotic is a semiotic whose expression plane is a semiotic. Examples: Styles; national languages. 9. Metasemiotics (Lecture 4).
P 76-80 A metasemiotic is a (scientific) semiotic whose content plane is a semiotic. Examples: terminologies; linguistics.
Some of the definitions and statements given above should be taken as practical approximations only.
Austin, Texas February, 1961
Louis Hjelm slev