OMNIPRESENCE OF SAUSSURE?

Abstract

A new theory with brilliant insights was created by Saussure´s posthumous book Cours de linguistique générale, whose destiny was to be outmatched by its great number of followers. Saussure’s ideas still indirectly underpin the works within Linguistics published since 1916 (year in which his classical book was published). Such ideas are still automatically and unconsciously applied. It is perhaps impossible to describe a language nowadays without taking them into account. One takes the risk of committing epistemological mistakes if one does not. In this article, using examples often taken from the Portuguese language, I try to show signs of Saussure’s “omnipresence”. The pairs on which I have worked are language versus speech (langue/ parole ), substance versus form and syncronic versus diacronic. My saying that Saussure is in a sense omnipresent does not imply minimizing the aspects under which the various theories on language differ from each other, but so much has been said about their difference that it is perhaps the time to underline what they have in common.