Deconstructing the Debates on the Arbitrariness Principle of Linguistic Signs

After the publication of Saussaure's Course in General Linguistics in 1916 in Geneva,more and more scholars have been devoting themselves to the discussion of the book and Saussure's linguistic propositions.Among the lengthy discussions,the Arbitrariness Principle of Linguistic Signs has notably become a hot topic which prompts vigorous debates.The present paper,based on reviewing the propositions by scholars from different linguistic schools,analyzes and deconstructs the debates holding that mistakes in the originnal works and misinterpretation on the part of readers affect the right interpretation of the arbitrariness of linguistic signs and cause the debates.Finally,the author of the paper proposes that,at the level of langue,the linguistic sign owns arbitrariness—the fundamental nature,while at the level of parole,the linguistic sign exhibits non-arbitrariness—the subordinate nature.The fundamental nature of Saussure's linguistic sign is arbitrariness,not the combination or complementarism of arbitrariness and iconicity.