Signs and the Things They Signify

Augustine gives the example of statistical arguments such as, if I get you to say lion, then a wild beast has just come out of your mouth. Such ambiguities plague any attempt to get clear about how exactly language works. We use signs which are usually, but not always linguistic, to teach people about things and also about other signs. This leads our listener to gain knowledge of the things we are signifying. But he raises doubts about whether signs can really give us knowledge about things.