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Saussure divided the study of linguistics into:

ASyntax and semantics

BSynchronic and diachronic

CSpoken and written

DGrammar and vocabulary

Answer:

B. Synchronic and diachronic

Read Explanation:

Synchronic and diachronic are two ways to study language, with synchronic focusing on the present and diachronic focusing on the past. 

Synchronic 

  • Definition: Existing or happening at the same time

  • Example: Studying the sounds of a language at a single point in time

  • Also known as: Descriptive linguistics or general linguistics

Diachronic 

  • Definition: Relating to phenomena that change over time

  • Example: Studying how the meaning of words has changed over time

  • Also known as: Historical linguistics

The Swiss linguist Ferdinand de Saussure introduced the distinction between synchronic and diachronic in his 1916 book Course in General Linguistics. 

Examples 

  • Synchronic: Studying the sounds of English words like "rent" and "admit" to see what sound patterns are possible

  • Diachronic: Studying how the word "magic" meant "good" in youth culture in the 1980s


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