Abstract

Saussure’s concept of specialized languages, as outlined in his Cours de linguistique générale – specifically referring to legal and scientific terminology – was the focal point of the Palermo event on specialized languages, their history and evolution, and how they are taught. This paper uses Saussure’s definition as a theoretical lens to explore both established specialized languages and potential studies on their alternative forms. The former is distinguished by the frequent use of words ‘with a human face’ i.e., accessible and rooted in human experience, while the latter operates outside standardized norms, in a paradigmatically alternative dimension, and yet, as the community of speakers who use the language throughout their lives within a given society, offering insight into defining langue.