After all, we (linguists n.d.r.) start studying languages, but of course we have to remember that languages are not the only systems. There are other systems than languages for communication. And, why not start from that? So, fine, but as a matter of fact, people started studying languages before they could imagine or think of other systems and usually it’s in relationship with linguistics, with languages, that they invent other systems. If, for example, on a ship people want to communicate with another ship, they would use language, but they can’t. So they have to find a way out with signals and flags, etc. There you have your semiotics.
André Martinet
(Scienze della natura e scienze delle culture, conversazione con André Martinet, in pubblicazione su www.segmentiblog.wordpress.com )
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