Louis de Saussure MAE is a Swiss linguist and academic. He is a full professor of general linguistics and discourse analysis at the University of Neuchâtel, where he has held the chair since 2007. His research focuses on semantics, linguistic pragmatics, discourse analysis, and the cognitive foundations of communication. He is a member of the Academia Europaea.
Louis de Saussure | |
|---|---|
| Born | Geneva, Switzerland |
| Known for | Linguistic pragmatics, temporal semantics, discourse analysis |
| Awards | University Latsis Prize (2005) Member of the Academia Europaea (2020) |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | University of Geneva |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Linguistics |
Sub-discipline | Semantics, Pragmatics, Discourse analysis |
| Institutions | University of Neuchâtel |
Early life and education
editLouis de Saussure was born in Geneva. He belongs to the distinguished De Saussure family, which includes the pioneer of modern linguistics, Ferdinand de Saussure.[1][2] He earned a bachelor's degree in French and Russian language and literature (1995), a master's degree in French linguistics in 1997, and a PhD in French linguistics in 2000 from the University of Geneva.
Academic career
editAfter completing his doctorate, de Saussure held a lectureship in philosophy of language at the University of Texas at Austin (2000–2001) and a visiting postdoctoral position at University College London, where he conducted research in semantics and pragmatics. He later taught at several Swiss universities, including the University of Geneva[3] and the Università della Svizzera italiana in Lugano.
In 2004, he was appointed assistant professor of general linguistics at the University of Neuchâtel and was promoted to full professor in 2007. He served as dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Neuchâtel from 2021 to 2023[4] and is a founding member and director of the university’s Cognitive Science Center since 2011.[5]
Honors and awards
editIn 2005, De Saussure was awarded the University Latsis Prize at the University of Geneva.[6] In 2013, he was elected to the Société de linguistique de Paris.[7] He was further elected a member of the Academia Europaea in 2020.[8]
References
edit- ↑ "Ferdinand de Saussure, linguistique mon amour". Tribune de Genève (in French). 27 January 2016.
- ↑ "Louis de Saussure, l'amour au bout de la langue" (in French). Le Temps. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ↑ "Louis DE SAUSSURE - Department of Linguistics". UNIGE. 21 April 2021.
- ↑ "Louis de Saussure". University of Neuchâtel.
- ↑ "Bienvenue !". Centre de sciences cognitives (in French).
- ↑ "Latsis University Prizes". Fondation Latsis Internationale. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
- ↑ "Annuaire des membres". Société de Linguistique de Paris.
- ↑ "de Saussure Louis". Academy of Europe.