Ferdinand de Saussure Rank
About Ferdinand de Saussure
Modern-day linguistic and semiotic sciences stand on the foundations of the great 20th-century Swiss linguist and philosopher Ferdinand de Saussure.
Background & Education
Saussure is from Geneva, Switzerland. At age 13, he schooled at the Institution Martine and later graduated top of his class. He then went on to study Latin, Sanskrit, and Ancient Greek for a year and read several courses at the University of Geneva.
In 1876, he was a graduate worker at the University of Leipzig. In 1880, he defended his thesis, “De l'emploi du génitif absolu en Sanskrit,” at the University of Leipzig and earned his Ph.D.
He was a teacher at “École pratique des Hautes études” for over a decade and a linguistics professor at the University of Geneva.
Legacy
Saussure’s reputation in comparative linguistics came when he published his 1878 book, “Mémoire sur le système primitif des voyelles dans les langues indo-européennes,” (Thesis on the primitive vocalic system in Indo-European languages).
Saussure explained all the complex alternations of the Indo-European language vowel system and brought more meaning and structure to the languages in the book.
Although he did not publish any other book, his juniors compiled his teachings and published it in 1916 as “Cours de Linguistique générale.” The publication of Saussure’s teachings is considered the breakthrough of structural linguistics.
Ferdinand de Saussure Rank
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F.A.Q. about Ferdinand de Saussure
When is his birthday?
Ferdinand de Saussure's birthday is on November 26, 1857.
In how many days is his birthday?
Ferdinand's birthday is in 218 days
How old was Ferdinand when he died?
He was 55 years old.
When did he die?
He died in February 22, 1913.
How old would he be today?
Ferdinand de Saussure would be 166 years old if he was alive today.
Where was Ferdinand from?
He was born in Geneva, Switzerland.