Ferdinand De Saussure's Langue and Parole

Ferdinand De Saussure

Langue and Parole

• Langue: the collective language system shared by a community, comprising rules, norms, and conventions
• Parole: individual instances of language use, specific utterances or speech acts
• Saussure emphasized the importance of studying langue, as it provides the underlying structure for parole

Structuralism

• Saussure is considered the father of structuralism, a movement that emphasizes the underlying structures and relationships in language
• Structuralism focuses on the underlying systems and patterns that shape human culture, rather than individual events or instances
• Saussure's work on language as a system of signs and rules laid the groundwork for structuralism in other fields, such as anthropology and sociology

Semiotics

• Saussure is also considered the father of modern semiotics, the study of signs and symbols
• He defined semiotics as the study of signs within society, including language, gestures, and other forms of communication
• Saussure's work on semiotics emphasized the importance of understanding the underlying systems and rules that govern the use of signs

Signifier and Signified

• Signifier: the physical form of a sign, such as a word or image
• Signified: the concept or meaning associated with a sign
• Saussure argued that the relationship between signifier and signified is arbitrary, meaning that there is no inherent connection between the two
• He also emphasized that the meaning of a sign is determined by its relationships with other signs within the language system

Ferdinand De Saussure

Langue and Parole

• Langue refers to the collective language system shared by a community, encompassing rules, norms, and conventions that govern language use.
• Parole represents individual instances of language use, specific utterances or speech acts that draw upon the langue system.
• Saussure stressed the importance of studying langue, as it provides the underlying structure for parole, allowing individuals to communicate effectively.

Structuralism

• Saussure is considered the father of structuralism, a movement that prioritizes the analysis of underlying structures and relationships within language.
• Structuralism seeks to uncover the underlying systems and patterns that shape human culture, moving beyond individual events or instances.
• Saussure's work on language as a system of signs and rules laid the foundation for structuralism in other fields, such as anthropology and sociology.

Semiotics

• Saussure is also regarded as the father of modern semiotics, the study of signs and symbols within society.
• He defined semiotics as the investigation of signs, including language, gestures, and other forms of communication, to understand how meaning is created.
• Saussure's semiotics emphasizes the importance of understanding the underlying systems and rules governing the use of signs.

Signifier and Signified

• The signifier refers to the physical form of a sign, such as a word or image, which carries meaning.
• The signified represents the concept or meaning associated with a sign, which is arbitrarily linked to the signifier.
• Saussure argued that the meaning of a sign is determined by its relationships with other signs within the language system, rather than any inherent connection between the signifier and signified.