Le problème de la définition des entités linguistiques chez Ferdinand de Saussure

Abstract

The question this essay seeks to answer can be formulated in a seemingly simple manner, namely: if language is a “system”, what elements are its constituents? This simplicity, however, is fallacious and hides a deep intricacy. An acceptable answer to this question would in fact not simply lie in an affirmation which states, for example, that elements of ‘Language’ system are such: it should also incorporate an explanation of how these elements interact, a definition of their intrinsic properties and some precision about their common characteristics. An explanation of all that permits one to invoke the notion of “elements” as part of a “system”, and about a "system" composed of that kind of “elements”. The description of an “element” is strictly equivalent – as Saussure taught – to a description of the system in which this element is involved, that is to a determination of (types of) relationships linking system’s elements. Viewed in this light, the question about what are the entities involved in language system is an issue that bears directly and simply on the Language system’s concept, as Saussure conceived. This thesis has three parts. The first one, devoted to Saussurean concept of “system”, attempts to show that there are variations in Saussure’s development, and that is possible to identify at least two different configurations (one appointed by Saussure “system of oppositions”, the other called “grammatical system”). The second part, devoted to the concept of “value”, tries to show that it is possible to find, in Saussure’s manuscript, at least two different configurations of this concept. One of them would be coherent with purely negative and differential criteria. The other, more complex, would involve elements not able to be reduced to ‘pure differential’ criteria. Our hypothesis (developed in the third part) is to stand that these patterns were developed by Saussure from treatment of different issues, including, consequently, elements definable in different ways: on one hand, "phonemes"; on the other, “signs”.

Date of Award	6 Nov 2009
Original language	French
Awarding Institution	University of Namur
Supervisor	Jean GIOT (Supervisor), Michel Arrivé (President), Claudine Normand (Jury), Sémir Badir (Jury), Christian Puech (Jury), Raffaele Simone (Jury) & GAbriel Bergounioux (Jury)