The claim
Part Two, ch. IV: “dans la langue il n’y a que des différences sans termes positifs” holds of the signified and the signifier considered separately; the sign that unites them is “un fait positif”, and signs are related by opposition. Value, fixed by a term’s relations to coexisting terms, is distinct from signification, its counterpart relation to an idea: French mouton and English sheep can share a signification and differ in value (THEORY-159). Saussure also brackets the referent: arbitrariness is between signifier and signified, not between sign and thing.
What it does not say
It does not undercut the manuscript’s use. Relational identity survives the correction, and is arguably stronger for it: a term’s value, not its signification, is what the manuscript’s observables track. The fix is a sentence in §2: say value rather than significance, and drop the referent contrast, which is not Saussure’s.
Note of 2026-10-10: the replies
The last paragraph overreaches (CLAIM-254). Value is fixed within one language state and is a fact of langue, so the manuscript’s observables, facts of use, track a use-level counterpart (CLAIM-242), not Saussure’s value. The correction above stands, and the paragraph is left as written.
Note of 2026-10-27: the edge says what the claim uses
The status review of this date (ADR-057, ADR-058) removed THEORY-159 from grounds. The claim is a reading of what Saussure says, and it stands on LIT-774 (read in NOTE-594), already a ground. THEORY-159’s linguistic thesis is not used. The body citation stays.
Note of 2026-10-28: moved to ARG-034 and ARG-033
This claim holds two inferences. Its correction of Saussure is the Rejected ARG-034, from THEORY-159 and LIT-774 to CLAIM-082, and THEORY-159 already holds every point of it. Its last paragraph, that relational identity survives the correction, is version 1 of ARG-033, from CLAIM-082 to CLAIM-115, which CLAIM-254 revised. The text above is unchanged.