This book, which inscribes itself in the field of the history and epistemology of the language sciences, examines how the utterance has come to be regarded as a relevant level of analysis in the course of the history of linguistic theories.

This conceptual reconstruction work inscribes itself in the history of linguistics, or, more precisely, in the history of the Geneva School of general linguistics. It brings new light on the identity of this school through the comparative study of the theories developed by Charles Bally, Albert Sechehaye and Henri Frei between 1900 and 1940.

The book presents a novel approach to the field of linguistics, which is here envisioned as a discursive practice. Through analyses of specific case studies, it sheds light on the gestures and imaginaries that underpin the enunciation of knowledge.