Ferdinand de Saussure was a Swiss linguist whose ideas laid a foundation for many significant developments in the field of linguistics in the 20th century. Born on November 26, 1857, in Geneva, Switzerland, Saussure showed an early talent in languages, mastering Latin and Greek, among others, as a teenager. He attended the University of Geneva before moving to Leipzig and later to the University of Berlin to continue his studies in linguistics. Saussure's most renowned contribution to linguistics came after his death, from the notes of his students at the University of Geneva, where he taught courses on linguistics.
Saussure's central doctrine revolves around the concept of the linguistic sign, which consists of two parts: the signifier (the form of a word or phrase) and the signified (the conceptual meaning). This idea was revolutionary because it differentiated between the language itself and the phenomenology of its use, suggesting a relational understanding where meanings arise from differences and oppositions between signs within a system. This perspective was fundamental in moving the study of language from historical and comparative methods to a focus on language as a structured system of signs — a field now known as structuralism.
One of Saussure's significant contributions is his distinction between 'langue' (the structured system of language known to a community) and 'parole' (individual acts of speech). This distinction emphasized the importance of studying the underlying system of language (langue) rather than individual usage, which can be varied and idiosyncratic. This approach led to the development of various structural theories in linguistics and influenced other fields such as anthropology, psychoanalysis, and semiotics. Saussure posited that language is a system of signs that express ideas and suggested that it can only be understood within its social context, thus introducing the idea of synchronic (studying language at a particular point in time) versus diachronic (historical development of language) analysis.
Saussure's teachings and ideas were compiled by his students Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye and published in the book "Course in General Linguistics" posthumously in 1916. This work became seminal in the development of linguistic theory in the 20th century, influencing not only linguistics but also other fields such as cultural studies, philosophy, and literary theory. Despite the fact that Saussure did not publish extensively in his lifetime, his ideas have had a profound and lasting impact on the humanities and social sciences. His thoughts on the arbitrary nature of the sign — that the link between signifier and signified is not natural but conventional — remain influential, highlighting his status as a pioneer of modern linguistic and semiotic theory.