Definition: Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure was interested in languages, written and spoken, and he believed that the basic rules of human languages are hard-wired into us, that the structure of language has rules that are for the most part unrecognized by the speaker. Saussure's investigations of language had a lasting effect on many kinds of science, including anthropology and archaeology, as the notion of subconscious (but identifiable) structures in our languages spread to subconcious (but identifiable) structures in our behavior. The so-called structuralist movement in anthropology was led by Claude Levi-Strauss.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar.
