Saussure, Ferdinand.  Course in General Linguistics.
1. The SIGN: language / concept / sound
  		The sign consists of
		1) the signifier -- the sensed (heard, seen) aspect 
                   of the word
		2) the signified : the intangible aspect of the word, 
                   normally its meaning
  2. The language used by a particular culture / society is
	a. systematized
	b. universal within the culture; thus unconsciously used
	c. includes the weight of time and previous generations
	d. escapes the individual will; is a product of the "social contract"
  3. "Synchronic" and "diachronic" phenomena in language
	a. synchronic = simultaneous
	b. diachronic = with the passage of time
  4. "Langue" and "parole" (and "langage")
	a. langue = a language; a whole, with rules
	b. parole = speaking; an individualized performance
	c. langage = the ability to speak, including the human physical and 
           social backgrounds to speaking languages
  5. Semiology
	The science of what governs signs (see #1 above), including:
	a. Ritual
	b. langue  (a language with its rules)
	c. symbols
	d. social interactions