Searching for the source

Hello All -

I’m trying to find the source for this idea: there are four ways to classify all things:

1. the name of the thing
2. what the name is called
3. what the thing is called
4. what the thing is

The way I remember it, if the example “thing” is what Eve gave Adam:

1. the name of the thing is “apple”
2. “apple” is called a noun
3. an apple is called a fruit
4. an apple is a means of plant reproduction (alternatively, an apple is part of an ecosystem)

Does this sound familiar? I’d love to remember/know the source of this idea . . . I’m pretty sure it’s not me!

Thank you for your help -

Peter in St. Louis

It generally falls under semiotics, a subdivision of linguistics. I don’t know of any idea that includes part 2 - all “thing-names” are nouns.

Saussure defined a three-stage model of signifier, signified and referent. Those are (sort of) 1, 3 and 4 respectively, or maybe 3, 1, 4 depending on what you mean…
Signifier is the word itself, the sequence of sounds and letters.
Signified is the concept that the word is attached to in a language.
Referent (if applicable) is the actual object to which the concept refers.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_%28linguistics%29

I hope that’s some help.

this was a different site man. waaayy different.

I wonder if any of these people ever look back.

I hope they are doing well. For our sake…