Page:Ralcy H. Bell - The Mystery of Words (1924).pdf/108

 it a symbol only of the thing’s functions, actions, or qualities; but also very frequently it is the sign of another sign, even unto the third and fourth generations of signs.

It would seem, therefore, that a word is the matrix of associations. Consider that these associations may be expressed in linear form as the links of a chain, or their unity suggested by related parallels, by intersecting circles, helixes, and so on. The phenomenon is composite; its character is complex; and to those of us who insist on seeking realities, the simplest word will remain forever an abstract mystery.

For practical purposes, it is necessary to admit a certain arbitrary meaning to the term sign, as used in a linguistic sense. Thus in the treating of words as signs, the process is made easier if we let the term embrace the total associations, the complete transmutation of energies, and the combined characteristics which articulate the acoustic image with the concept.