Ferdinand de Saussure and Linguistics

Ferdinand de Saussure, a Swiss linguist born in Geneva, is considered the father of modern linguistics. His ideas laid the foundation for 20th-century linguistic studies. Saussure introduced the concept of language as a social phenomenon, distinct from individual speech. He emphasized the arbitrary nature of the linguistic sign, which consists of a concept (signified) and an acoustic image (signifier). His work led to the formation of the Geneva School, a group of linguists who continued his legacy.

When and where was Ferdinand de Saussure born?

• Paris, France in 1857

• Vienna, Austria in 1857

• Geneva, Switzerland in 1857

• Berlin, Germany in 1857

What is Ferdinand de Saussure known as?

• The father of modern sociology

• The father of modern psychology

• The father of modern linguistics

• The father of modern philosophy

What did Saussure distinguish between in his studies?

• Language and culture

• Language and speech

• Language and writing

• Language and thought

What is the primary focus of Saussure's study in linguistics?

• The language and culture

• The written language

• The spoken language

• The language and speech

According to Saussure, what is the nature of language?

• Cultural and learned

• Social and external

• Individual and internal

• Biological and innate

What is the term Saussure uses to describe the social aspect of language?

• Linguistic faculty

• Linguistic community

• Linguistic society

• Linguistic group

What does the linguistic sign consist of?

• A word and its meaning

• A sound and a symbol

• A letter and a sound

• A concept and an acoustic image

How does Saussure describe the relationship between the signifier and the signified?

• Arbitrary and conventional

• Logical and necessary

• Natural and inherent

• Fixed and unchangeable

What is the nature of the linguistic sign according to Saussure?

• Motivated and necessary

• Arbitrary and unmotivated

• Natural and inherent

• Fixed and unchangeable