Ferdinand de Saussure
The first relationship     is between the sounds we make and the way we make these sounds. The sounds     of letters and combinations of letters are called acoustical impressions.     The way we use our vocal cords, the muscles in our mouth, and our tongue     to produce these sounds is called oral articulation. Therefore, the first     relationship that contributes to language is between acoustical     impressions and oral articulation. Together these make up the “signifier”,     or the specific words and pronunciations we use.