The linguistic concept of Ferdinand de Saussure

Relativistic concept. Saussure attributed linguistics to the field of psychology.

1. Inside linguistics revealed semiology - science, designed to study a sign system. And from it: linguistics - learning language, as a special sign system.

Langage (langage - language in general) - the object of study of linguistics.

Selected external and internal linguistics. The subject of the external - the economic, geographical and historical existence of the language. The subject of internal linguistics is the device of the language.

Saussure urged to study only internal linguistics. It is dissected into the linguistics of language and the linguistics of speech. The object of linguistic language is language, and the object of linguistic speech is speech.

2. Saussure tore the language and speech, as the language is social, and speech is individual (base). We do not observe language, we observe speech. Language is something common, an inventory of words and rules, and speech is realized in each one in different ways. Language is the norm, and speech is not. Therefore, it is more important to learn a language.

3. Saussure considered language a sign system. A language sign is a mental justification, arbitrary, conditional, not imposed by nature, a causal connection of two sides: the acoustic image and concept.

Signs of a language sign :

1. Conditional relationship between the signifier and the signifier. In the word itself there is no indication of the subject.

2. Linear character.

3. Variability / non-variability.

4. Arrangement.

4. Saussure considered language a system of units. The task of linguistics - the study of the relationship between units. Two types of relationships :

1. Associative (linear) - interaction relations (syntagmatic relations).

2. Coexistence - similarities and differences, on the basis of which units can be grouped into specific classes (paradigmatic relations).

The object of linguistics is a purely linguistic relationship, paradigmatic.

5. The unit of language, he called the one that had the value and significance. Significance - the place of the unit in the system, relative to another unit.

6. Saussure dismembered linguistics into synchronic (static language change) and diachronic (considered language in historical change).

Priority he considered linguistics. This was an important position for him.

Saussure was the first to reveal the objects of linguistics - language; sign system; demarcation of language and speech; study of the internal structure of the language. Thus, the leading principle for his concept is the principle of position.

New subject - the concept of the structure of language. In the late XIX - early XX centuries, structuralism appeared.

Structuralists took as the leading - synchronous learning of the language. The structure of the language - different elements enter into relationships. Tasks: to find out how long a linguistic unit turns out to be identical with itself, what set of differentiated features a linguistic unit has; how the language unit depends on the language system in general and other language units in particular.

Stage I. - 30-40 years. XX century - the birth of structuralism. Schools: Prague linguistic circle, Copenhagen school, Danish structuralism, American, London schools.

The Moscow and Leningrad schools were interested not in the content, but in the expression of these units. Much attention was paid to the relationship between units of language.

Ii. stage - 50-70 gg. At this time, schools as such do not stand out. They became interested in the content (that is, the meaning) of language units.