European Structuralism

1. Fedinand de Saussure

Structural linguistics in Europe was initiated with the publication of   Cours de Linguistique Générale of the Swiss  linguist Ferdinand   de Saussure (1857- 1913). The book  was edited and published by his students in 1916. It presents a series of lectures that Saussure  gave in Geneva. It was a novelty in linguistic thinking during the   1920s and 1930s. Despite being originally a comparative philologist himself, Ferdinand de Saussure is considered the founder of structuralism. Saussure’s work was principally non-historical and descriptive. This linguist is well distinguished for his view of language and for his dual concepts presented in the form of dichotomies, which have become a tradition when discussing Saussure’s theory.