Cahiers Ferdinand de Saussure, volume 77 (2024), édité par Giuseppe D’OTTAVI, Genève, Librairie Droz, 2026, 280 pages, ISSN : 0068-516X, ISBN-13 : 978-2-600-06759-1, € 60,00
Date de première publication : 25 juin 2026
Voir la notice de l’Éditeur.
Ce numéro en version numérique : https://revues.droz.org/CFS/issue/view/CFS_77
I Éditorial
Giuseppe D’OTTAVI, À nos lecteurs, p. 5-7
II Articles
Marco MAZZEO (“Sapienza” Università di Roma), Agamben reader of Saussure. I. The vanished toy, p. 11-25
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_11-25 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: This essay examines the interpretation of Saussure’s thought in the work of Giorgio Agamben, focusing in particular on the works preceding the Homo Sacer series. The comparison of the two authors reveals a tension that can advance contemporary philosophy of language in two ways. On the one hand, Saussure offers more than one reason to be wary of Agamben’s hostility to the notion of “sign”; on the other, Agamben offers a path to overcome the difficulties in Saussure’s approach to the notion of “history”.
Keywords: Agamben, Benveniste, History, Infancy, Philosophical anthropology.
Adriano BERTOLLINI (Università degli Studi di Palermo), Agamben reader of Saussure. II. The Benveniste case, p. 27-42
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_27-42 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: This essay investigates how Giorgio Agamben interprets Saussure’s thought in connection with Benveniste. Although he credits Saussure with great importance in the history of Western philosophy, the Italian philosopher tends to read the work of the author of the Cours in the light of Benveniste’s studies, especially the article entitled “Sémiologie de la langue” (1969). In what follows, we will try to point out the advantages, but above all the problems of such a juxtaposition, which does not seem to do full justice to the thought of the Swiss linguist.
Keywords: Agamben, Benveniste, “Note sur le discours”, Glossolalia, “Sémiologie de la langue”.
Claudia STANCATI (Università della Calabria), Le sens de la syntaxe entre linguistique et philosophie des sciences. Une reconstruction croisée entre l’École de Genève et Cournot, p. 43-61
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_43-61 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: The linguists of the Geneva School extend the notion of syntax to the affective and the imaginative, which involves a redefinition of the relationship between language and thought. From this redefinition stems their attention to scientific language and notations. In fact, although they are not the primary focus of their investigations, they serve as points of comparison. This paper outlines a backward itinerary through the linguistics and philosophy of science up to Cournot. The aim is not to identify the precursors of the Geneva School but rather to show the intertwining of the epistemology of linguistics and that of other sciences. It deals with complex interconnections which refer to the repositioning of syntax within linguistics and logic.
Keywords: Syntax, Linguistics, Logic, Philosophy of sciences, Language and thought, Geneva School.
III Résumés de thèse
Francesco PARISI (Università di Napoli “L’Orientale”), Le Cours de linguistique générale de F. de Saussure et Matière et mémoire de H. Bergson : analyse comparative de lexèmes communs. Lexique, usages terminologiques et implications théoriques, p. 65-78
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_65-78 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: This research aims to compare the philosophical theses of H. Bergson with the linguistic theses of F. de Saussure, starting from an analysis of their respective terminological systems. In particular, the study considers the use of shared lexemes appearing in Matière et mémoire (1896) and in Cours de linguistique générale (1916). The analysis sheds new light on their positions within the context of the debate on the relationship between mind and language. Moreover, following the same methodology, an examination of certain textual occurrences in Saussure’s notes (2002) demonstrates to what extent the function of the langue involves the articulation of both speech and thought. This article presents a summary of the doctoral thesis defended by the author in 2013.
Keywords: Henri Bergson, CLG, Terminology, Mind, Language.
IV Hommage
Francesca M. DOVETTO (Università degli Studi di Napoli “Federico II”), Présentation de Dalla ‘langue’ alla ‘parole’: verba manent. Scritti di Federico Albano Leoni (Napoli, 2021), p. 81-86
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_81-86 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: This article presents Verba manent, a volume compiled by Federico Albano Leoni’s former students in honor of his eightieth birthday. The book showcases his multifaceted scientific contributions across Germanic philology, historical linguistics, phonetics, phonology, and the philosophy of language. Rooted in Saussurean thought, Albano Leoni’s work challenges traditional linguistics by prioritizing the listener’s role and the semantic dimension of parole over abstract systems. His theoretical framework emphasizes the radical imperfection of linguistic action, the embodied nature of language, and the social character of linguistic practices. The volume includes an interview, thematic sections, and a comprehensive bibliography of his scholarly production.
Keywords: Federico Albano Leoni, Phonetics and phonology, Saussurean linguistics, Spoken Italian corpora, Philosophy of language.
Giovanna MAROTTA (Università di Pisa), La phonétique selon Federico Albano Leoni, p. 87-98
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_87-98 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: This overview of Federico Albano Leoni’s scientific work focuses particularly on his studies in phonetics and prosody, highlighting the most original and innovative aspects of his research. It also underscores his pivotal role in promoting acoustic phonetics in Italy since the 1980s, closely linked to the research projects he led to develop extensive corpora of spoken Italian. His critical stance on the concept of phoneme, along with his distinctive views on theoretical phonology, is examined through both his own arguments and alternative perspectives.
Keywords: Phonetics, Phoneme, Syllable, Corpora, Prosody.
Diego POLI (Università di Macerata), Federico Albano Leoni et le domaine du sens, p. 99-111
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_99-111 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: This article explores Federico Albano Leoni’s contributions to linguistic research, with particular emphasis on spontaneous speech and acoustic analysis. Drawing on experimental work with spoken corpora, Albano Leoni develops insights into perception and recognition in communication, highlighting the central role of the syllable alongside prosodic features. His writings engage with theoretical traditions, including Bühler’s language theory and Gestalt principles, while maintaining close attention to empirical data. The discussion addresses broader questions concerning the relationship between written and spoken language, the listener’s interpretive activity, and the importance of interdisciplinary perspectives in understanding how meaning emerges in actual linguistic exchanges.
Keywords: Phonetics, Phonology, Syllable, Speech perception, Linguistic empiricism.
V Centenaire du Recueil
Georges-Jean PINAULT (École Pratique des Hautes Études, Paris), Le Recueil des publications scientifiques dans l’histoire de la linguistique indo-européenne, p. 115-139
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_115-139 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: The centerpiece of the Recueil is undoubtedly the Mémoire, the first book (1878) and almost the only one (apart from his doctoral thesis, 1881), published by F. de Saussure himself during his lifetime. This masterwork laid the groundwork for understanding the structure of the Proto-Indo-European language, while providing numerous specific results concerning its phonological and morphological system. Besides, the Recueil contains several relatively short contributions addressing specific problems of Indo-European phonology, morphology and etymology. Taken as a whole, the Recueil continues to inspire discussion and debate to the present day.
Keywords: Apophony, Derivation, Etymology, Indo-European, Laryngeals, Morphology, Phonology, Reconstruction, Root, Structure.
Marie-José BÉGUELIN (Université de Neuchâtel / ARLLFB), La place du Mémoire, p. 141-166
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_141-166 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: Almost 150 years after its publication, and a century after its inclusion in the Recueil des publications scientifiques de Ferdinand de Saussure (1922), the article aims to (re)assess the scientific scope of Saussure’s Mémoire sur le système primitif des voyelles dans les langues indo-européennes (1879 [1878]), as well as its theoretical impact, from three different perspectives. Following a brief overview of its content and historical setting, the Mémoire is considered, firstly, as a part of the Recueil itself, among Saussure’s ante mortem publications. Secondly, it is approached as a landmark work in the comparative grammar of Indo-European languages, whose theses, after a bumpy ride, have ended up being established as certainties, while its methodological achievements still await a precise assessment. Finally, it is regarded as an intellectual and human experience that determined the rest of Saussure’s career, nourishing his views on general linguistics.
Keywords: Analogy, Apophony, Classification of roots, Indo-European, Laryngeals, Morphology, Semiology.
Maria Patrizia BOLOGNA, Le grec ancien dans le Recueil saussurien, p. 167-181
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_167-181 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: The Recueil des publications scientifiques de Ferdinand de Saussure contains a series of papers devoted specifically to Ancient Greek, addressing both the etymology of proper names and common lexical items, as well as phonetic issues. This paper examines these works, highlighting the image of Saussure as a Hellenist that emerges from them, while considering the continuity – or lack thereof – of his proposals in subsequent scholarship. It also demonstrates how these studies constitute one of the key testimonies to Saussure’s intellectual trajectory, from the analysis of linguistic facts to reflection on the nature of language itself.
Keywords: Ancient Greek, Etymology, Onomastics, Common lexicon, Phonetics.
John E. JOSEPH (University of Edinburgh), Noblesse oblige : The Publications of Ferdinand de Saussure, 1901-1912, p. 183-200
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_183-200 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: Ferdinand de Saussure (1857-1913) notoriously published very little in the 20th century, though he was just 43 when it began in 1901. What he did put before the public in these years, beyond his teaching, was in every case called forth by some social or personal duty, either to the community of Geneva academics to which he belonged, or to individual scholars who had played some part in his career. This article surveys his publications over these years.
Keywords: Place names, Germanic legends, sound symbolism, Joseph Loth, Louis Havet, Vilhelm Thomsen.
Daniele GAMBARARA (Università della Calabria), Pour un supplément au Recueil saussurien, p. 201-220
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_201-220 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: This article presents a commented bibliography of the 25 works published during Ferdinand de Saussure’s lifetime that are not included in the 1922 Recueil (and a posthumous one in the Appendix, § 3). The works are divided into two lists: one for articles sent to press directly by Saussure (§ 1), and another for texts sent to fellow researchers (§ 2). Each entry is documented with its first identification in Saussurean scholarship, related studies or editions, and references to the most recent bibliographies and Joseph’s 2012 monograph. Many of these works are accessible online. Together, they offer a richer view of Saussure’s scientific activities, revealing aspects of his linguistic research that go beyond the 1922 collection.
Keywords: Works published by F. de Saussure, History of linguistics, Bibliography, Scientific correspondence.
VI Documents
Estanislao SOFÍA (CONICET – Universidad de Buenos Aires), Pierre SWIGGERS (KU Leuven), Holger Pedersen, Charles Bally et le Cours de linguistique générale, p. 223-237
DOI : 10.47421/CFS_77_223-237 ↗︎ PDF à l’achat ↗︎
Abstract: After the publication of the Cours de linguistique générale in 1916, Charles Bally devoted considerable effort to promoting the work across Europe, notably by soliciting reviews from foreign colleagues. One of the linguists he contacted was the Danish scholar Holger Pedersen, a near contemporary of Saussure and a leading figure in comparative linguistics. Pedersen responded favorably to Bally’s invitation but ultimately did not publish a review – a regrettable fact, given that the Danish linguist, an admirer of the Mémoire, held strong views regarding the orientation of linguistic studies.
Keywords: Division(s) of linguistics, Language and speech, General linguistics, Comparative grammar, Charles Bally, Holger Pedersen.
VII In memoriam
Irène FENOGLIO, Jean-Claude Coquet (1928-2023), p. 241-243
VIII Comptes rendus
Types d’unités et procédures de segmentation, sous la direction de Marie-José Béguelin, Gilles Corminboeuf, Florence Lefeuvre, Limoges, Lambert-Lucas, 2020 (L. Möschler), p. 247-250
Francesco La Mantia, Pour se faire langage. Lexique élémentaire de la Théorie des Opérations Prédicatives et Énonciatives d’Antoine Culioli, Louvain-la-Neuve, Academia-L’Harmattan, 2020 (A. Bondì), p. 251-254
Aurélien Sauvageot (†), Un linguiste dans son siècle. Mémoires, 1897‒1954, Paris, L’Harmattan & Association pour le développement des études finno-ougriennes 2020 (P. Swiggers), p. 255-259
Émile Benveniste. Le sorgenti segrete di un linguista poliedrico, a cura di Giovanni Manetti e Federica Venier, Pisa, Edizioni ETS, 2021 (S. Frigeni), p. 260-263
Le thème perceptif et expressif. Entre linguistique, sémiotique et philosophie, sous la direction de Antonino Bondì et David Piotrowski, Paris, CNRS Éditions, 2022 (E. Fadda), p. 264-266
With Saussure, Beyond Saussure: Between Linguistics and Philosophy of Language, edited by Marina De Palo and Stefano Gensini, Münster, Nodus Publikationen, 2022 (J.E. Joseph), p. 267-270
