--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The business, task or object of the…" description: "\"The business, task or object of the scientific study of languages will if possible be 1) to trace the history of all known languages. Naturally this is..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_business_the-business-task-or-object-of-the-scien_794587.jpg" --- # The business, task or object of the scientific study of… ![“The business, task or object of the scientific study of languages will if possible be 1) to trace the history of all known languages. Naturally this is possible only to a very limited extent and for very few languages.” quote by Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_business_the-business-task-or-object-of-the-scien_794587.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_business_the-business-task-or-object-of-the-scien_794587.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3ee/ferdinand-de-saussure-19549_business_the-business-task-or-object-of-the-scien_794587.jpg) > “The business, task or object of the scientific study of languages will if possible be 1) to trace the history of all known languages. Naturally this is possible only to a very limited extent and for very few languages.” [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The aim of linguistics is to trace language histories, but this is only feasible for a few languages. **In simple terms:** Linguistics tries to map language histories, but can only do so for limited cases. Key Takeaway Accept the limits of linguistic reconstruction. Themes language history science limitations research Mood curious analytical Type academic informative When to use this quote - Academic research - language documentation - archaeology - anthropology Key Concepts Historical linguistics comparative method language families Questions to Reflect On - What methods can expand our understanding of lesser‑studied languages? - How do we prioritize which languages to study? A Different Perspective Only a fraction of languages can be fully reconstructed, leaving many gaps. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Science](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science/) ## Related quotes > [To trace the history of a river . . . is to trace the history of the soul, the history of the mind descending…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretel-ehrlich/to-trace-the-history-of-a-river-is-to-trace-the-history-of-the-soul/) [Gretel Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretel-ehrlich/) > [To trace the history of a river or a raindrop is also to trace the history of the soul, the history of the mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretel-ehrlich/to-trace-the-history-of-a-river-or-a-raindrop-is-also-to-trace-the/) [Gretel Ehrlich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretel-ehrlich/) > [Between two beings there is always the barrier of words. 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Pray for powers equal to your tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillips-brooks/do-not-pray-for-tasks-equal-to-your-powers-pray-for-powers-equal-to/) [Phillips Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillips-brooks/) ## More by Ferdinand de Saussure > [Nearly all institutions, it might be said, are based on signs, but these signs do not directly evoke things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/nearly-all-institutions-it-might-be-said-are-based-on-signs-but-these/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [In general, the philological movement opened up countless sources relevant to linguistic issues, treating them in quite a different spirit from traditional grammar; for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/in-general-the-philological-movement-opened-up-countless-sources/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [The ultimate law of language is, dare we say, that nothing can ever reside in a single term. 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