On Defining "La Langue": Saussure's Differential Approach


In a given language, all the words which express neighboring ideas help define one another’s meaning. No word has a value that can be identified independently of what else there is in its vicinity. [CGL] [160-161]

On Defining "La Langue": Saussure's Differential Approach

Introduction

In Saussure's seminal work "Course in General Linguistics" we read that within a language, words expressing neighbouring ideas mutually define each other's meaning. This assertion stems from his belief that language's essence lies in its differential character. According to Saussure, language is a system where meaning arises from differences, rather than intrinsic qualities. Words derive signification from their relationships within the linguistic system, rather than possessing inherent sense.

Defining "La Langue"

In Chapter 3 of the introduction to the Cours, section §2 Linguistic structure: Its place among the facts of language, Saussure elucidates the concept of 'la langue' by drawing upon the neighboring terms 'la parole'  and 'le langage'. Through contrasting these concepts, Saussure attempts to define what 'la langue' is and delineate its distinct characteristics.

Firstly, it is conveyed that 'la parole' refers to individual speech acts where language is used to express personal thoughts. It involves the conscious will and intelligence of the speaker, along with the psycho-physical mechanism of articulating thoughts into speech.

Secondly, 'le langage' encompasses both 'la langue' and 'la parole' and represents language in its entirety, including the system and its individual manifestations.

Lastly, through a process of juxtaposition with the adjacent terms 'la parole' (the speech) and 'le langage' (the language as a whole), 'la langue' is defined as the social product of language, existing outside the individual. It is a system of signs where the association between signified and signifier is collectively agreed upon within a community. Unlike 'la parole,' which is variable and individual, 'la langue' is more stable and shared among members of a community. It is a concrete object of study, distinct from individual speech acts.

Lost in Translation

Upon reaching these tentative definitions, Saussure cautions his students against assuming direct equivalence of the terms 'la langue,' 'la parole,' and 'le langage' across languages. He illustrates this with examples from German and Latin, where no single word precisely corresponds to these notions. Saussure argues that attempting to define concepts based solely on linguistic terms is methodologically flawed, advocating instead for an understanding rooted in the structural relationships within language:

…the distinctions established are not affected by the fact that certain ambiguous terms have no exact equivalents in other languages. Thus in German the word Sprache covers individual languages as well as language in general, while Rede answers more or less to ‘speech’, but also has the special sense of ‘discourse’. In Latin the word sermo covers language in general and also speech, while lingua is the word for ‘a language’; and so on. No word corresponds precisely to any one of the notions we have tried to specify above. That is why all definitions based on words are vain. It is an error of method to proceed from words in order to give definitions of things. [CGL] [31]

Conclusion

Saussure's exploration of 'la langue,' 'la parole,' and 'le langage' underscores the differential nature of language. Through these distinctions, he elucidates that meaning in language emerges not from inherent properties but from the relations among elements within the linguistic system. This perspective emphasizes the importance of understanding language as a dynamic system of differences, rather than as static entities with fixed, pre-existing meanings.

 Related posts from this blog:

The Differential Nature of Language: An Analysis of Linguistic Levels

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2024/02/blog-post_12.html

 The Significance of Terminology in Saussure's Work

https://derridaforlinguists.blogspot.com/2023/09/the-significance-of-terminology-in.html

 Bibliography

Saussure, Ferdinand de. 1916. Cours de linguistique générale. Edited by Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye, with Albert Riedlinger. Libraire Payot.

Saussure, Ferdinand de. "Course in General Linguistics." Translated and annotated by Roy Harris. With a new introduction by Roy Harris. Bloomsbury, 2013.

Saussure, Ferdinand de. Cours de linguistique générale. Edited by Charles Bally and Albert Sechehaye, with the collaboration of Albert Riedlinger. Arbre d’Or, Genève, 2005.

 De Saussure, Ferdinand. "Curso de Lingüística General." Traducido por Amado Alonso. 24ª edición. Editorial Losada, 1945.

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