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Saussure, F. de. Course in general linguistics Introduction Traditional grammar presents language as a system composed of identifiable categories: nouns, verbs, cases, and syntactic rules. Students encounter these elements as if they were stable objects that exist independently of the language in which they appear. Yet this familiar picture becomes less secure when examined through the perspective developed by Ferdinand de Saussure in the Course in General Linguistics. In several passages of that work, Saussure advances a striking proposal: grammatical categories do not exist as self-contained entities. They arise from relations within the linguistic system itself. Saussure’s broader theory of language begins with a principle that overturns common intuition. Linguistic elements are defined not by intrinsic substance but by the differences that distinguish them from one another. “In a language,” he writes, “what distinguishes a sign is what constitutes it” (Saussure, 1916/2011). Whe...

Introduction This article aims to explore and compare the revolutionary departures from traditional grammar made by Noam Chomsky and Ferdinand de Saussure, as well as the distinctions between their respective approaches. Traditional grammar, which typically offers prescriptive rules for ‘correct’ language use, stands in stark contrast to the theoretical frameworks developed by Chomsky and Saussure. Chomsky’s framework emphasizes the innate cognitive structures underpinning language acquisition, while Saussure’s theory focuses on the relational nature of linguistic elements within a system of differences. Understanding these departures is crucial for several reasons. First, Chomsky’s shift from normative rules to an explanatory model of grammar redefined the study of language by introducing the concept of Universal Grammar, which posits that the ability to acquire language is hardwired into the human brain. This approach fundamentally altered our understanding of language develo...

  Introduction The evolution of linguistic theory from traditional grammar to modern approaches, particularly those pioneered by Noam Chomsky, represents a significant shift in how language is understood and analyzed. Traditional grammar, deeply rooted in the literary and cultural traditions of ancient Greece and Rome, was initially developed to preserve and interpret classical texts. However, this framework was later applied—often uncritically—to a wide array of languages, many of which possess structural characteristics vastly different from Greek and Latin. Chomsky’s work in modern linguistics seeks to address this Eurocentric bias by developing a 'general' theory of grammar that can be universally applied to all human languages. This article draws significantly from John Lyons' book Noam Chomsky , which provides a comprehensive account of Chomsky's linguistic theories. Lyons notes that Chomsky himself read and commented on the manuscript, offering corrections th...