"Words are but the signs of ideas"

Samuel Johnson succinctly captures the relationship between language and thought with the phrase “words are but the signs of ideas.” He emphasizes that words themselves are not the essence of meaning; rather, they act as vehicles that convey the deeper substance of human thought. Just as a signpost points to something beyond itself, each word acts as a symbol pointing toward an underlying concept or idea held in the mind.

This perspective highlights the duality of language: its ability to capture, and yet sometimes constrain, mental phenomena. Words enable individuals to communicate their sensations, desires, knowledge, and beliefs with others, bridging the otherwise unbridgeable divide between isolated consciousnesses. However, because words are mere representations and not the reality of the ideas themselves, meaning can become altered, diminished, or misunderstood in the act of expression. Multiple interpretations and subtle shades of meaning demonstrate the imperfect correspondence between linguistic signs and what they signify in thought.

Johnson’s observation encourages humility regarding language’s capacity. Behind every spoken or written word lies a more complex network of meanings unique to the individual who wields the language. Two people may use the same terminology and yet have divergent or even conflicting ideas attached to those words. Thus, genuine understanding demands careful attention to context, shades of meaning, inflection, and intent.

By calling words “signs,” Johnson also acknowledges language as a learned and shared system of symbols. These signs gain their power and significance only through collective agreement and use. In suggesting that ideas precede and underlie words, he points towards the primacy of thought in the hierarchy of meaning, while also recognizing the indispensable, though subordinate, role that language plays in making ideas accessible, communicable, and sharable among individuals and across generations.