A linguistic system is a series of differences of sound combined with a series of differences of ideas...
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
Everyone, left to his own devices, forms an idea about what goes on in language which is very far from the truth.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Language perceptions can be misleading when shaped by personal interpretations rather than objective truths.
Ferdinand De Saussure highlights the idea that individuals often create their own understandings of language that may diverge significantly from its actual nature. This suggests that without a shared framework or understanding, personal interpretations can lead to misconceptions, emphasizing the importance of studying language systematically to grasp its true essence.
Themes
LanguagePerceptionTruthCommunicationUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a classroom setting to discuss the complexities of language acquisition.
More from Ferdinand De Saussure
All quotes →Linguistics will have to recognise laws operating universally in language, and in a strictly rational manner, separating general phenomena from those restricted to one branch of languages or another.
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
Psychologically our thought-apart from its expression in words-is only a shapeless and indistinct mass.
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Any psychology of sign systems will be part of social psychology - that is to say, will be exclusively social; it will involve the same psychology as is applicable in the case of languages.
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
Written forms obscure our view of language. They are not so much a garment as a disguise.
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
Speech has both an individual and a social side, and we cannot conceive of one without the other.
Ferdinand De SaussureRead
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