Saussure for Dummies

Saussure is a word that refers to a very important person in the field of linguistics, which is basically the study of language. When I say "Saussure," I am actually talking about Ferdinand de Saussure, a Swiss linguist who lived in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Now, I know that might sound like a lot of information, but don't worry, we'll break it down together and make sure you understand it.

So, imagine that language is like a big puzzle. There are so many pieces, and we want to understand how it all fits together. Well, Ferdinand de Saussure was like a detective who wanted to solve this puzzle. He studied language and tried to figure out how it works and how we use it to communicate with each other. He was really interested in studying the structure of language and how different parts of language, like words and sounds, relate to each other.

You know how when you're building Legos, you start with a base and then add all the little pieces on top, one by one? Well, that's kind of how language works too. Ferdinand de Saussure tried to understand the different building blocks of language and how they come together to create meaning. He thought that language had two main parts: the signifier and the signified.

Now, let me explain those two fancy words to you. The signifier is like the sound or the written form of a word. You know, when we say "dog," we are making a certain sound, right? That sound is the signifier for the word "dog." The signified, on the other hand, is the concept or idea that the word represents. So when we say "dog," we are talking about that furry, four-legged animal that goes "woof!"

So, when people talk about "Saussure," they are usually referring to Ferdinand de Saussure and his ideas about language and how it works. He was one of the first people to really study language in this way, and his ideas had a big impact on linguistics, which is why he is still so important today.

In summary, "Saussure" means Ferdinand de Saussure, a linguist who studied the structure of language and how different parts of language come together to create meaning. He is known for his ideas about the signifier and the signified, which are the building blocks of language. His work has had a lasting impact on the field of linguistics.