Course in general linguistics PDF

“Course in General Linguistics” is a groundbreaking book in the field of linguistics, written by Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure and published posthumously in 1916. The book is based on Saussure’s lectures at the University of Geneva and outlines his theory of structural linguistics. Saussure argues that language is a system of signs that are arbitrary and defined by their relationships to other signs within the system. He distinguishes between langue (the abstract system of language) and parole (the actual use of language in speech or writing), and emphasizes the importance of synchronic analysis (studying a language at a particular point in time) over diachronic analysis (studying the historical development of a language). Saussure’s ideas had a profound influence on linguistics, semiotics, and other fields, and his emphasis on the importance of studying language as a system rather than simply as a collection of individual words and sentences has had a lasting impact on the study of language.