Ferdinand De Saussure Quotes
A collection of quotes by Ferdinand De Saussure.
Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) was a Swiss linguist who made significant contributions to the field of linguistics and semiotics. Born in Geneva, Switzerland, he came from a family of prominent scholars and intellectuals.
De Saussure's most influential work is the posthumously published "Course in General Linguistics," which revolutionized the study of language. In this seminal work, he proposed a structural approach to language, focusing on the relationships between signs and their meanings within a larger system. He emphasized the importance of understanding language as a social phenomenon, shaped by cultural and historical contexts.
De Saussure introduced the concept of the linguistic sign, which consists of the signifier (the sound, word, or image) and the signified (the concept it represents). He argued that meaning arises from the interplay between signs and their oppositions within a language system, proposing the notion of the arbitrariness of the sign.
His theories had a profound impact on subsequent generations of linguists, alongside the groundbreaking works of scholars like Noam Chomsky and Ferdinand de Saussure.
Although de Saussure passed away before completing his magnum opus, his ideas laid the foundation for structuralism and semiotics. His innovative approach to language analysis continues to shape modern linguistic and anthropological studies.
