The Linguistic Structure of Ferdinand de Saussure

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the linguistic structure of Ferdinand de Saussure. Linguistics is considered the principal center of the linguistic structure. Linguistics is the science, which studies the human language scientifically and descriptively far from standard judgment. The fundamental topic of linguistics is studying language structuralism on the basis that the linguistic structure stands on its own and alone as it is the tool of denotation. This tool to achieving communication process through system of symbols. Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) is considered the pioneer who called for a descriptive study of language rather than a historical study as it is a social phenomenon. He sought to set the methodological foundations of linguistics analysis; in addition to describe the human languages to reach the common majors among them; in addition to factors affecting the language such as the psychological, geographic and social factors. this paper presents a vision of the new developments introduced by Ferdinand de Saussure on linguistics, starting with his distinction between language and speech, through the duality, the signifier and signified giving emphasis on the arbitrariness of the mark, and up to his study of language as a current descriptive study and the other is a successive historical study.