▁In ▁lingu istics ▁▁ ▁In ▁Cour se ▁in ▁General ▁L ingu istics ▁the ▁analysis ▁focus es ▁not ▁on ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁language ▁( called ▁" par ole ", ▁or ▁speech ), ▁but ▁rather ▁on ▁the ▁underlying ▁system ▁of ▁language ▁( called ▁" lang ue "). ▁This ▁approach ▁exam ines ▁how ▁the ▁elements ▁of ▁language ▁relate ▁to ▁each ▁other ▁in ▁the ▁present , ▁synchron ically ▁rather ▁than ▁dia chron ically . ▁S auss ure ▁argued ▁that ▁lingu istic ▁signs ▁were ▁composed ▁of ▁two ▁parts : ▁▁ ▁a ▁" sign ifier " ▁( the ▁" sound ▁pattern " ▁of ▁a ▁word , ▁either ▁in ▁mental ▁projection — as ▁when ▁one ▁sil ently ▁rec ites ▁lines ▁from ▁sign age , ▁a ▁poem ▁to ▁one ' s ▁self — or ▁in ▁actual , ▁any ▁kind ▁of ▁text , ▁physical ▁real ization ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁speech ▁act ) ▁ ▁a ▁" sign ified " ▁( the ▁concept ▁or ▁meaning ▁of ▁the ▁word ) ▁ ▁This ▁was ▁quite ▁different ▁from ▁previous ▁approaches ▁that ▁focused ▁on ▁the ▁relationship ▁between ▁words ▁and ▁the ▁things ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁that ▁they ▁design ate . ▁Other ▁key ▁not ions ▁in ▁struct ural ▁lingu istics ▁include ▁parad ig m , ▁s ynt ag m , ▁and ▁value ▁( though ▁these ▁not ions ▁were ▁not ▁fully ▁developed ▁in ▁S auss ure ' s ▁thought ). ▁A ▁struct ural ▁" ide al ism " ▁is ▁a ▁class ▁of ▁lingu istic ▁units ▁( lex emes , ▁morph emes ▁or ▁even ▁constru ctions ) ▁that ▁are ▁possible ▁in