Of all social institutions language is least amenable to initiative. It blends with the life of society, and … - Ferdinand de Saussure

Same topic Authors

Quote of the day

China is stealing all of our secrets out of our computers, using the psychic children, and we're trying to say that it's people here in the United States, but that's not the case. And Russia for sure is able to go into any computer in the world and take all the information out of it.

Ferdinand de Saussure

Of all social institutions language is least amenable to initiative. It blends with the life of society, and the latter, inert by nature, is a prime conservative force.

Conservative, Initiative, Institutions, Language, Latter, Society

Same Author Quotes

I’m almost never serious, and I’m always too serious. Too deep, too shallow. Too sensitive, too cold hearted. I’m like a collection of paradoxes.

Cold, Cold Hearted, Deep, Like, Paradox, Serious

The connection between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary.

Arbitrary, Connection, Connections, Signified, Signifier

The ultimate law of language is, dare we say, that nothing can ever reside in a single term. This is a direct consequence of the fact that linguistic signs are unrelated to what they designate and that, therefore, 'a' cannot designate anything without the the aid of 'b' and vice versa, or, in other words, that both have value only by the difference between them.

Differences, Law, Single, Term, Ultimate, Vices

Time changes all things; there is no reason why language should escape this universal law

Language, Law, Reason Why, Time, Universal

A linguistic system is a series of differences of sound combined with a series of differences of ideas.

Combined, Differences, Ideas, Sound, System