Notes, [MTG] 125-1540

AU OUTLINE OP GLOSSEHATICS.

Provesider.

1 trykt side (i fortrykket) = 4 skrevne halvark

As particularly emphasised by F0 de Saussure, langusge is fiorra, not substance. Language is the form through which the physical substance and the substance of ideas, which are in themselves amorphous, are made to correspond to each other as expression and content respectively. Consequently, all linguistic analysis must be morphological and cannot be achieved through a mere description of the substances. As the lingui- Stic form does not necessarily coincide with any other known formg this morphology must be immanent. A language consists of three concentric parts (cf. L. Hjelmslev, La catégorie des cas I, Acta luti landica VII, 1, 1925, P. 51, 88)s A central part, the system, i. e. the elements arranged in a pattern

of mutual relations; the norm, i. ex. a set of rules based on the system and fixing the limit of variability for eaeih Element; the usage, i. ex. a set of rules based on the norm and fixing the limit of variability tolerated in a given community at a given time. It is necessary to distinguish between language as an insti- tut ion, and the use to which it is put by the indivi- dual speaker; this is called the practice (Saussurefs parole ). The Mmit of variability fixed by the norm is based on the extensional definitions of the elements given in #Hie norm, whereas the limit of variability fixed by the usage are narrower than those fixed by the norm. Thus tthe English norm allows various pronuncia-

tions of the element r, while each usage (Scottish, Northumbrian, Southern English, etc. ) demands one par- ticular variety. System and norm are more constant than the usage; it is possible to have a change of usage with- out a corresponding change of system or norm, and two languages or dialects may differ as to usage and yet have a common norm and system. That a community has one language, means that the members of the community conform to a common highest usage, within which there may be usages of more special application. The norm is found by abstraction from a usage or usages; the more usages taken into consideration, the more abstract, less specified, the common norm will be. Thus a norm

comprising a group of languages is more abstract, and contains fewer rules, than a norm comprising only one language or dialect. The most abstract norm possible is the one which is common to all languages, known and unknown. To regognise and describe this $.orm is the chief object of general linguistics. Form elements are claaed glossernes, and the branch of linguistics which deals with glossernes (the theory of system and norm) is called