SILENCEME: THE SILENT “OTHER” IN LINGUISTICS/SILENCE STUDIES

If linguistics is stipulated, for the time being, as an epistemological anthropocentric discipline for the deployment of algocentric (a discourse that is motivated by metamathematical formalism or computational algorithmic simulation and which ignores the non-algorithmic constitutive “rules”) meta-symbolic order on the symbolic order, one may find a marginal other in linguistics—an order of non-signs. For these non-signs, let me introduce a term: “silenceme”, which is at a time a non-sign and a sign and does not have a fixed componential meaning and thus violates the law of excluded middle. A blank parchment with the supposed seal of Caesar, when was “read” by Antony, swayed the commoners (Julius Caesar, 3.2). In Tagore’s play, Post-office, a conspirator, out of fun, sent a blank letter to an “illiterate” boy, who was expecting king’s letter, when he was waiting for death. However, another character altogether differently interpreted that blank letter. This blankness of the white letter, then, was not interpreted as a poisonous fun, but as a “real” remedy for that boy. Thus, the blank spaces are emitting different meanings in different situations and non-signs were endowed with the supposed sign-ness. That’s the de-sign of silenceme as it is de-sign-ated within the sign-ness. When you were asking me, “What’re you doing?” I said, “Nothing.” This single word, ”nothing” , a supposed minimal “free” (Where does the essential freedom of word lye? ) form, is not free at all—“nothing” ’s freedom was pervaded by “other” non-signs, nothingness, the unspoken or something unspeakable, the non-discursive sonority or unintended sounds (as in John Cage’s musical compositions or in Rauschenberg and Robert Ryman’s Minimalist paintings with almost white surfaces.) Courtesy: Stefano Pocci, Diaforia; John Cage Site on Silence, Virginia University; Prasanta Chattopadhyay, Kalodhvani. 1. 2007. “Language” Encyclopedia of Science of Language. Polimetrica Onlus. Milan, Italy http://www.polimetrica.eu/site/?p=88 http://linguistlist.org/pubs/papers/browse-papers-action.cfm?PaperID=20061 2. 2007. “Wor(l)d Spaces: The Definition of ‘Word’" Encyclopedia of Science of Language. Polimetrica Onlus. Milan, Italy http://www.polimetrica.eu/site/?p=127#respond http://linguistlist.org/pubs/papers/browse-papers-action.cfm?PaperID=20700 3. 2006. “Silenceme: the silent other in Linguistics” LINGUIST List 17.2149. Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State University. http://linguistlist.org/issues/17/17-2149.html# 4. 2006. “Silenceme and absential quantifier” Virginia University. http://list.mail.virginia.edu/pipermail/silence/2006-August/002076.html 5. 2011. The Psychology of Silence : English & Italian Translations: http://diaforiasinecondicio.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/diaforia-n%C2%B05-debaprasad-bandyopadhyay/ http://www.scribd.com/doc/61227834/The-Psychology-of-Silence-The-Story-of-Bharat 6. 2011. Interview in English: http://diaforiasinecondicio.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/qa-with-debaprasad-bandyopadhyay/ 7. 2011. Interview in Italian: http://diaforiasinecondicio.wordpress.com/2011/08/19/intervista-a-debaprasad-bandyopadhyay/ 8. 2005. 2005. “mOHa pati bhOrot akkhan. Kalodhvani. (pp. 40-56) http://www.scribd.com/doc/50661072/META-PETITE-NARRATIVE-OF-BHARAT http://search.gmane.org/?query=Grand%2Fpetite+Narrative+of+Bharat&author=Debaprasad+Bandyopadhyay&group=&sort=revdate&DEFAULTOP=and&query= 9. 2005. “jedin niSSObdo SObdore khabe’ ”: noYSObder BhaSatOtto” ebON muSayera. XI:4(226-47). http://linguistlist.org/pubs/papers/browse-papers-action.cfm?PaperID=8202 10. 2007. “"জেগে বা ঘুমিয়ে-- 'ভারতীয়' দর্শনে" jege ba ghumie: bharotio dOrsone”. Tepantar .Vol. V (pp.141-66) Kolkata: Sanhati 11. 2009. nirObOtar na-bhaSatOtto : lalone.” Ocin pakhi. Lalon saMrokgrontho. Vol.XX. Nadia West Bengal lalon Mela Samiti. (pp. 16-24). 12. 2006. “Sartre-er cupSadhona.” Dashadishi. Kolkata. II:2. Decl. No. 52/04 http://permalink.gmane.org/gmane.music.john-cage/4230 https://www.facebook.com/notes/debaprasad-bandyopadhyay/silence-studies/295399867194531