Ferdinand de Saussure's Dichotomies

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1 Ferdinand de Saussure's Dichotomies
Presented By : Date : 29/03/2022 Mohamed SGHIOUER Hicham DARFOUF Supervised by : Pr Hafida CHEKEIRI

2 Outline Who is de Saussure ? What is modern linguistics ?
Definition of language according to de Saussure Saussure’s dichotomies of language Signifier & signified Paradigm & syntagm Langue & parole Diachrony & synchrony Wrap up

3 Who is De Saussure ? Born in Switzerland in1857 and died in 1913
Linguist, philosopher, and a semiotician. Was the founding father of modern linguistics and the theory of structuralism. His most influencial work : The course in General Linguistics (1916) His ideology laid for much of the approaches and progress in linguistics. - a reconstruction of his lectures on the basis of notes by students carefully prepared by his junior colleagues Charles Bally and Albert Séchehaye. The publication of his work is considered the starting point of 20th-century structural linguistics.

4 What is modern linguistics ?
Modern linguistics refers to the scientific study of language and its structure. Includes the study of features such as grammar, syntax, and phonetics. Regards language as a system and grammar is only considered as a systematic description of a certain language, either oral or written Most importantly, modern linguistics is descriptive, i.e., it doesn’t prescribe how one should use language; instead, it describes how natural language functions. Considers oral language as the basic form of language. Linguists also consider language change as a natural process; in linguistics, a language that doesn’t change is a dead language.

5 What is modern linguistics ?
The six major levels of linguistic structure

6 Definition of language according to De Saussure
Language is a system of signs that evolves through the activity of speech. Saussure calls it a semiological system. Language is a link or a borderland between thought and sound where thought and sound combine to provide communication , and is means for thought to be expressed as sound.

7 Saussure’s dichotomies of language
Signifier & signified Paradigm & syntagm Langue & parole Diachrony & synchrony

8 Saussure’s dichotomies of language
Signifier & signified Signifier The linguistic or material form used to signify things Ex: Cat Signified The physical form that a signifier refers to.

9 Saussure’s dichotomies of language
Signifier & signified Paradigm & syntagm Langue & parole Diachrony & synchrony

10 Saussure’s dichotomies of language
Paradigm & syntagm Paradigm  Paradigmatic relationship involves signs that can replace each other, usually changing the meaning with the substitution . We can change a part of a sentence only if its substitute is from the same word class. Ex: Cat sat on the mat. Cat can be replaced by dog and vice versa. In paradigmatic relationship we must also pay attention to pragmatics. Syntagm The sentence is a sequence of signs, each sign contributes to the meaning of the whole. Changing the sequence of the sentence will destroy the sentence. Even words have a structured sequence that must be respected. Ex: - The beautiful woman buys some bread. - We cannot say: The buys beautiful woman bread some.

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12 Saussure’s dichotomies of language
Signifier & signified Paradigm & syntagm Langue & parole Diachrony & synchrony

13 Saussure’s dichotomies of language
Langue & parole De Saussure devides the language into two parts: Natural ability of all humans to use and produce language Language Langue Parole Is the system of language, all the possible rules that make up a langage theory Is how these rules are put into action by the speakers of that language

14 Saussure’s dichotomies of language
Langue & parole De saussure compared langue/parole to chess Langue : represents the rules for chess that both players must use to play Parole : represents all the possible moves that an individual chess player chooses to make Langue (language knowledge) Parole (use of language knowledge) The nature of langue is social abstract The parole is individual and concrete Langue is the system of language as it exists in terms of grammar, words and pronunciation Parole is the manifestation of langue in terms of acctual speech and writing (analogy)* just as the speakers of a language must accept the rules of a language for effective communication. just as no two speakers of a language can speak exactly the same.

15 Saussure’s dichotomies of language
Signifier & signified Paradigm & syntagm Langue & parole Diachrony & synchrony

16 Saussure’s dichotomies of language
Diachrony & synchrony Diachronic analysis : The study of how a language evolves through time, It describes any shifts and mutations of a language over centuries. The study of the history of a language and how it changes Examples : The study of the developpenemnt of english from old English to 20th century The analysis of the vocabulary change of sensational verbs by medical staff from 2019 to 2020 Synchronic analysis : Describes a language as it exists at a given point of time whether it is in the present or past. It investigates the state of language at a particular phase of its developement without allusion to its history. (analogy)* just as the speakers of a language must accept the rules of a language for effective communication. just as no two speakers of a language can speak exactly the same. Examples : The study of how morphs and morphemes combine to form words and phrases The study of how proper syntax gives a sentence meaning.

17 Wrap up Ferdinand de Saussure is the founding father of modern linguistics and structuralism Modern linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure Language is a link between sound and thought Signifier : Mental abstract representation of the signified Signified : Concept that a signifier refers to Paradigmatic relationship is a diagnostic for word class Syntagmatic relationship has to do with structure and sequence Langue is an abstract system shared by all humans to use and produce language Parole is the concrete use of language by individuals Diachrony : The study of language through different periods in history (Historical linguistics) Synchrony : The study of a language in one specific period of time (Snapshot of a language)

18 Thanks for your attention