Modern linguistics emerged in the late 19th century with a shift from studying language changes over time to viewing each language as a structured system at a particular point in time. This formed the basis for structuralist linguistics. Key figures included Ferdinand de Saussure, who saw language as a system of arbitrary signs, and Henry Sweet and Baudouin de Courtenay, who focused on phonetics and phonology. In the 1920s, the Prague School was established with linguists like Trubetzkoy who developed phonological theory and placed emphasis on the phoneme, and Mathesius, Danes, and Firbas who studied the relationship between word order and discourse.

2. Modern linguistics emerged in the late
19th and early 20th centuries with the
shift of focus from historical concerns
of changes in languages over time, to
the idea that a language can be viewed
as a self-contained and structured
system situated at a particular point
in time.
This forms the basis for structuralist
linguistics.

3. FERDINAND DE SAUSSURE
(1857-1913)
 Saussure championed the idea that language
is a system of arbitrary signs.

4. Phonetics and phonology were dominant
in early modern linguistics.
(IPA) International Phonetic Association
“established in 1886”.
Henry Sweet
(1845-1912)
&
Baudouin de Courtenay
(1845-1929)

5. THE PRAGUE SCHOOL
 Tradition of linguistic thoughts that is associated
with; group of Czech and other linguists who formed
the Linguistic Circle of Prague established in 1926.
 Russian Prince Nicholai Trubetozkoy Phonological
theory.
 Succeed in placing the notion of the phoneme in the
center.

6.  Vilém Mathesius (1882-1945), Frantisek Danes
(1919-), Jan firbas 81921-2000) and others,
focused on the relation between word order and
discourse.