Design features of language The conventionalists: (Aristotle,student of Plato) The relation between the signifier and the signified is conventional,arbitrary and well-established in people's linguistic communication. It is a kind of linguistic social contract. To express "a kind of structure made of stones and bricks, etc.for people,esp.a household to live in", we use“house”in English,"maison"”in French,“dom”in Russian,“casa”in Spanish and"fangzi(房子)in Chinese.Design features of language The conventionalists: (Aristotle, student of Plato) The relation between the signifier and the signified is conventional, arbitrary and well-established in people’s linguistic communication. It is a kind of linguistic social contract. To express “a kind of structure made of stones and bricks, etc. for people, esp. a household to live in”, we use “house” in English, “maison” in French, “dom” in Russian, “casa” in Spanish and “fangzi (房子) in Chinese