The Societas Linguistica Europaea (SLE) is a professional society for linguists with a focus on Europe. It was founded in 1966 to advance linguistics, the scientific study of human language, especially in European countries. The constitution of the SLE was adopted on 27 February 1966, during an inaugural meeting in Kiel.

The first president of the SLE was André Martinet, elected in 1966. Particularly active members in the first decades were Hans Keller (treasurer for 1966-1970), Werner Winter (secretary for 1966-1991, treasurer for 1970-1991, and president in 1991), Jacek Fisiak (president in 1972 and 1982), and Dieter Kastovsky (secretary/treasurer for 1991-2006). In the years before 1990, the Jahrestagungen and meetings of the SLE were an important meeting place for linguists from Western and Eastern Europe.

Each year in the summer, the SLE organizes an annual meeting, the Jahrestagung, a conference with a program of talks and social events. The first official Jahrestagung took place in Brussels, 1-2 April 1967. In 1972, 1977 and 1987 no Jahrestagungen were held, because of the International Conference of Linguists (organized by the Comité International Permanent de Linguistes) that took place in Europe those years. Prior to each Jahrestagung an Executive Committee Meeting was held for the members of the board, and afterwards a Business Meeting open for all members.

From 1967 onwards the SLE published the journal Folia Linguistica (FL; on all areas of general linguistics) and from 1980 also the journal Folia Linguistica Historica (FLH; specifically on historical linguistics). Both journals were published by Mouton (later Mouton de Gruyter). Also a Bulletin was distributed, starting in 1971, in order to inform members about the functioning of the society.