试论索绪尔的语言理据观

A tentative study of Saussurean viewpoints on linguistic motivation

索绪尔通过辩证思维和明暗对比的方式对语言的任意性与理据性进行整体论述,但因其重点是前者,所以对世界语言学的重大影响也主要在这一方面,结果是理据性被严重忽视。仔细研读《普通语言学教程》,特别是钩沉探赜后即可发现:索绪尔明里揭示的是任意性,暗里却隐含着理据性。就后者而言,具体包括对外部理据的放弃、对词源理据的搁置、对理据类型的引发、对语法理据和理据制约的倚重,从而在事实上存在着正反互补的论证效果和系统有机的理据思想。通常,人们或把任意性与理据性矛盾对立,或以为索绪尔当然是否认语言理据性的。而本文认为,当代语言理据研究是对索绪尔语言理据观的继承升华而非背离另立。

Saussure discussed arbitrariness and motivation of language in the dialectic,contrastive and comprehensive manner.Yet he focused on arbitrariness,which significantly influenced linguistics worldwide in this regard with the result that motivation was largely overlooked.After a careful and especially unraveling read-up of Course in General Linguistics,one can safely find that Saussure did overtly reveal arbitrariness but motivation was also implicated though indirectly.As far as motivation is concerned,it consists of the forsaking of external motivation,the shelving of etymological motivation,the initiating of motivational typology,and the emphasizing of grammatical motivation and the motivational limit to arbitrariness,which actually gives rise to complementary argumentation over arbitrariness and systematic viewpoints on motivation.Usually motivation is seen as contradictory with arbitrariness and thus Saussure certainly vetoed it.However,we propose that contemporary studies of linguistic motivation in fact inherited and sublimated rather than deviated and restarted from Saussurean viewpoints on motivation.