Publisher's Synopsis
Ferdinand De Saussure died in 1913 with his masterpiece still unwritten: it was not until that 1916 that a text was reconstructed and published from his students' notes. Since then, De Saussure has been recognized as not only the founder of modern linguistics but a formative influence on the development of 20th-century thought. A classic of intellectual discovery, Course In General Linguistics defines the distinctions that have provided the basis for all subsequent linguistic studies. In his introduction specially written for this edition, Jonathan Culler writes: "Saussure helps us to understand the role played by distinctions which structure our world and the systems by which man becomes homo significans: a creature who gives things meanings."
