The belief that the relationship between word and its referent is conventional corresponds to which theory?

• A. Transformationalist
• B. Interactionist
• C. Structuralist
• D. Pragmatics

Answer: (C)

In structuralist thinking, a linguistic sign’s link to the thing it refers to is not natural but conventional. Saussure showed that the value of a word comes from its place in a system of differences with other signs, and the bond between the word form (signifier) and its meaning (signified) is established by social agreement within the language community. So the idea that the relationship between a word and its referent is conventional fits this view because meaning arises from the structure and conventions of the language system, not from any inherent, natural connection.

Think of it as the language system defining how signs relate to concepts; changing those conventional linkages would disrupt the overall system. The other theories focus on different aspects—how sentences are transformed and restructured, how language develops through social interaction, or how meaning is shaped by use and context—rather than on the conventional nature of sign–referent links.