Saussurean/Saussurian (adj./n.)

Characteristic of, or a follower of, the principles of Ferdinand de Saussure (1857–1913), especially as outlined in his posthumous Cours de linguistique générale (Paris, 1913), first translated by W. Baskin as Course in General Linguistics (New York, 1959). His conception of LANGUAGE as a SYSTEM of mutually defining entities was a major influence on several schools of LINGUISTICS (e.g. the PRAGUE SCHOOL, GENEVA SCHOOL, GLOSSEMATICS), and most of the theoretical distinctions he introduced have become foundations of linguistic study. Chief among these are the notions of LANGUE and PAROLE, SYNTAGMATIC and PARADIGMATIC, SYNCHRONIC and DIACHRONIC, and SIGNIFIANT and SIGNIFIÉ.