Ferdinand de Saussure

Swiss linguist and philosopher (1857–1913)
Person human Q13230
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Ferdinand de Saussure

Summary

Ferdinand de Saussure is a human[1]. His place of birth was Geneva[2]. He was born on November 26, 1857[3]. He died in Vufflens-le-Château[4]. He died on February 22, 1913[5]. He worked as a linguist[6], pedagogue[7], university teacher[8], sociologist[9], and philosopher[10]. He ranks in the top 0.7% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (284 views/month, #7,017 of 1,000,298).[11]

Key Facts

  • Ferdinand de Saussure was born in Geneva[2].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure died in Vufflens-le-Château[4].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure was born on November 26, 1857[3].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure died on February 22, 1913[5].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure's father was Henri de Saussure[12].
  • Among Ferdinand de Saussure's spouses was Marie Faesch[13].
  • A child of Ferdinand de Saussure was Raymond de Saussure[14].
  • A child of Ferdinand de Saussure was Jacques de Saussure[15].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure held citizenship in Switzerland[16].
  • French was Ferdinand de Saussure's native language[17].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure worked as a linguist[6].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure worked as a pedagogue[7].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure worked as a university teacher[8].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure's professions included sociologist[9].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure worked as a philosopher[10].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure's professions included phonologist[18].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure's field of work was structural linguistics[19].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure was employed by École pratique des hautes études[20].
  • Among Ferdinand de Saussure's employers was University of Geneva[21].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure was educated at University of Geneva[22].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure's education included a stint at Leipzig University[23].
  • Ferdinand de Saussure was educated at Collège Calvin[24].
  • A notable student of Ferdinand de Saussure was Albert Sechehaye[25].
  • A notable student of Ferdinand de Saussure was Louis Duvau[26].
  • A notable work attributed to Ferdinand de Saussure is semiology[27].

Body

Origins and Family

Born in Geneva[2], Ferdinand de Saussure… he was born on November 26, 1857[3]. His father was Henri de Saussure[12]. French was his native language[17].

Education

Educated at University of Geneva[22], a public research university[28], in Switzerland[29], founded in 1559[30], headquartered in Geneva[31]; Leipzig University[23], a public university[32], in Germany[33], founded in 1409[34], headquartered in Leipzig[35]; and Collège Calvin[24], a school building[36], in Switzerland[37], founded in 1559[38]. Studied under Heinrich Zimmer[39], an Indo-Europeanist[40], 1851–1910[41], of Kingdom of Prussia[42], specialised in Celtic languages[43]; Hermann Oldenberg[44], an Indologist[45], 1854–1920[46], of Germany[47], awarded the honorary doctor of the University of Calcutta[48], specialised in Sanskrit[49]; Georg Curtius[50], a linguist[51], 1820–1885[52], of Lübeck[53], awarded the Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order[54]; Henri-Frédéric Amiel[55]; Alexis Giraud-Teulon[56]; and Hugues Oltramare[57].

Career and Affiliations

Recorded occupations include linguist[6], pedagogue[7], university teacher[8], sociologist[9], philosopher[10], and phonologist[18]. Ferdinand de Saussure's field of work was structural linguistics[19]. Employers include École pratique des hautes études[20], a grand établissement[58], in France[59], founded in 1868[60], headquartered in Paris[61] and University of Geneva[21], a public research university[62], in Switzerland[63], founded in 1559[64], headquartered in Geneva[65]. Notable students include Albert Sechehaye[25], a linguist[66], 1870–1946[67], of Switzerland[68] and Louis Duvau[26], a germanist[69], 1864–1903[70], of France[71], specialised in comparative linguistics[72].

Works and Contributions

Notable works include semiology[27], an academic discipline[73]; structural linguistics[74]; Geneva School[75], a linguistic school[76]; and Course in General Linguistics[77], an academic work[78]. Things named for Ferdinand de Saussure include Collège de Saussure[79].

Personal Life

Among Ferdinand de Saussure's spouses was Marie Faesch[13]. Children include Raymond de Saussure[14], a psychiatrist[80], 1894–1971[81], of Switzerland[82] and Jacques de Saussure[15], a Beamter[83], 1892–1969[84], of Switzerland[85], awarded the Officer of the Order of the British Empire[86]. His religion is recorded as reformed[87].

Death and Burial

Ferdinand de Saussure died on February 22, 1913[5]. He passed away in Vufflens-le-Château[4].

Why It Matters

Ferdinand de Saussure ranks in the top 0.7% of human entities by monthly Wikipedia readership (284 views/month, #7,017 of 1,000,298).[11] He has Wikipedia articles in 30 language editions, a strong signal of global cultural recognition.[88] He is known by 15 alternative names across languages and contexts.[89]

He has been cited as an influence by Michel Foucault[90], an anthropologist[91], 1926–1984[92], of France[93], specialised in philosophy[94]; Jacques Lacan[95], a psychiatrist[96], 1901–1981[97], of France[98], specialised in psychoanalysis[99]; Jean Baudrillard[100], a philosopher[101], 1929–2007[102], of France[103], specialised in philosophy[104]; Jacques Derrida[105], a philosopher[106], 1930–2004[107], of France[108], awarded the Theodor W. Adorno Award[109], specialised in philosophy of language[110]; Roland Barthes[111], a philosopher[112], 1915–1980[113], of France[114], specialised in literary criticism[115]; and Claude Lévi-Strauss[116], a philosopher[117], 1908–2009[118], of France[119], awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour[120], specialised in cultural anthropology[121].

He is credited with the discovery of structural linguistics[122]. Works attributed to him include Course in General Linguistics[123]. Entities named for him include Collège de Saussure[79].

FAQs

Where was Ferdinand de Saussure born?

Ferdinand de Saussure's place of birth was Geneva[2].

Where did Ferdinand de Saussure die?

Ferdinand de Saussure died in Vufflens-le-Château[4].

Who were Ferdinand de Saussure's parents?

Ferdinand de Saussure's father was Henri de Saussure[12].

Who was Ferdinand de Saussure married to?

Ferdinand de Saussure's spouses include Marie Faesch[13].

What did Ferdinand de Saussure do for work?

Ferdinand de Saussure worked as linguist[6], pedagogue[7], university teacher[8], sociologist[9], and philosopher[10].

Where did Ferdinand de Saussure go to school?

Ferdinand de Saussure was educated at University of Geneva[22], Leipzig University[23], and Collège Calvin[24].

Who did Ferdinand de Saussure influence?

Ferdinand de Saussure has been cited as an influence by Michel Foucault[90], Jacques Lacan[95], Jean Baudrillard[100], and Jacques Derrida[105].

What did Ferdinand de Saussure discover?

Ferdinand de Saussure is credited as discoverer of structural linguistics[122].

References

Programmatic citations — every numbered marker resolves to a verifiable graph row below.

Direct Wikidata claims

  1. [2] . Integrated Authority File. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
  2. [4] . wikidata.org.
  3. [12] . wikidata.org.
  4. [13] . Base de données des élites suisses. Retrieved . wikidata.org.
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Class ancestry

  1. [1] . Wikidata. wikidata.org.

Aggregate / graph-position facts

  1. [11] . Wikimedia Foundation. dumps.wikimedia.org.
  2. [88] . Wikidata sitelinks. wikidata.org.
  3. [89] . Wikidata aliases. wikidata.org.

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APA 4ort.xyz Knowledge Graph. (2026). Ferdinand de Saussure. Retrieved April 10, 2026, from https://4ort.xyz/entity/ferdinand-de-saussure
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Rolling log of changes to this entity's Wikidata record. Values shown reflect the current state of each edited property — follow the history link to see the precise diff for any edit.

  1. 17d ago · Epìdosis · 2026-05-16 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Occupation linguist, pedagogue, university teacher +3
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/31706|batch #31706]]: import P21 and P106 from GND (6)"
  2. 26d ago · Bargioni · 2026-05-07 view diff on Wikidata ↗
    Image purged at
    Image unavailable reason
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    + 1 other property edited (see Wikidata diff for full list)
    "/* wbeditentity-update:0| */ QuickStatements 3.0 [[:toollabs:qs-dev/batch/30465|batch #30465]]: add P1810 to P5739 1/3"
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