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Questions and Answers
When and where was Ferdinand de Saussure born?
When and where was Ferdinand de Saussure born?
November 26, 1857, in Geneva
What are the two approaches to language study that Ferdinand de Saussure formalized?
What are the two approaches to language study that Ferdinand de Saussure formalized?
Synchronic and Diachronic
What are the two terms that Ferdinand de Saussure coined for the speech of an individual and the underlying system of speech activity?
What are the two terms that Ferdinand de Saussure coined for the speech of an individual and the underlying system of speech activity?
Parole and Langue
What is the structuralist principle that a language is a self-contained relational structure?
What is the structuralist principle that a language is a self-contained relational structure?
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Which of the following scholars are associated with structuralism in the United States?
Which of the following scholars are associated with structuralism in the United States?
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Structural linguistics is focused on the study of semantics.
Structural linguistics is focused on the study of semantics.
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Which of these is NOT a dichotomy introduced by Saussure?
Which of these is NOT a dichotomy introduced by Saussure?
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What are the two parts of a linguistic sign according to Saussure?
What are the two parts of a linguistic sign according to Saussure?
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Saussure believed that the relationship between the signifier and the signified is inherent and inevitable.
Saussure believed that the relationship between the signifier and the signified is inherent and inevitable.
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What is Langue according to Saussure?
What is Langue according to Saussure?
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Study Notes
Ferdinand de Saussure
- Born November 26, 1857, in Geneva, Switzerland
- Died February 22, 1913, in Vufflens-le-Château, Switzerland
- Significant influence on 20th-century linguistics
- Pioneering ideas on language structure
Language Structure
- Language is a social phenomenon
- Viewed synchronically (at a particular time) and diachronically (over time)
- Formalized basic approaches to language study
- Introduced key terms:
- Parole: individual speech
- Langue: underlying system of speech
- His distinctions fundamentally impacted linguistic research
Structuralism
- 20th-century linguistic school
- Language is a self-contained relational structure
- Elements' value comes from their distribution and oppositions within texts/discourse
- First clearly detailed by Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913)
- Further developed by:
- Prague School
- Glossematics
- Other European movements
- In the U.S., structuralism was associated with Franz Boas (1858-1942), Edward Sapir (1884-1939), and their followers, but with a narrower meaning/focus
Saussure's Dichotomies
- Signifier/Signified: relationship between the sound/image (signifier) and the concept (signified) in a sign. Arbitrary connection.
- Langue/Parole:
- Langue: the abstract system shared by speakers (e.g., English)
- Parole: the individual speech acts using that system
- Synchronic/Diachronic:
- Synchronic: Studying language at a specific point in time
- Diachronic: Studying language's evolution over time
- Syntagmatic/Paradigmatic:
- Syntagmatic: Relationships between items in a sequence (e.g., words in a sentence).
- Paradigmatic: Relationships between items that can occupy the same position in a sequence (e.g., possible verbs in a sentence)
- Language's structure is two-dimensional (syntagmatic and paradigmatic)
Additional Notes
- Structural linguistics focused on phonology and morphology (study of sounds and word structure), less on semantics (meaning). They felt semantics was too complex or subjective.
- Saussure's work established a foundation for understanding language as a structured system, influencing subsequent linguistic studies.
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Description
Explore the contributions of Ferdinand de Saussure to linguistics, focusing on his pioneering ideas about language structure and the concepts of langue and parole. Delve into the principles of structuralism that emerged in the 20th century, and understand the impact of these ideas on modern linguistic study.
