The development of Saussure's ideas in the works of Charles Bally (1865-1947) and Albert Sechehaye (1870-1946)

The article argues that Charles Bally (18651947) and Albert Sechehaye (1870 1946) were already accomplished linguists by the time Saussure died, and th at they did not really use the Cours in order to establish their own theori es, which they defined more accurately rather than modified in any essentia l way. However, it is possible to see, in their pre-1913 publications, at l east some traces of a private influence that can explain certain similariti es between their ideas and Saussures with regard to terminology and concept ualization (in particular concerning the linguistic sign, the idea of syste m, and the langue - parole distinction). After the publication of the Cours , Bally used Saussurian ideas rather superficially, whereas Sechehaye ended up interpreting them in a manner very close to our present understanding o f the Cours.