Test your basic knowledge |

Linguistics Basics

Subject : humanities
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






2. Aspects of meaning having to do with the linguistic environment in which the expression occurs (cease and desist)






3. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






4. Figurative use of meaning (Bob is a pig)






5. Affix in the middle of a word






6. The property of the surface structure of the text to 'hold together'






7. Using a word from another language to create a new word (cafe - deja-vu)






8. Required by syntax - mark grammatical categories (plurality - tense - comparative - etc) suffixes only






9. Noam Chomsky's idea that the principles that govern grammar are genetically programmed in human beings






10. The meaning of a sign






11. Affix before the root






12. The set of sentences that must be true for the sentence to be true






13. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






14. All aspects of meaning that go beyond the sense of the word - or the literal meaning






15. Affix after the root






16. Putting two old words together to make a new word (railway)






17. How sentences and texts are used in the world(context)






18. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






19. The overall meaning of a text






20. The meaning of a sign






21. A sentence in context






22. Multiword units - the meaning of which is not the sum of its parts






23. 1. Representations 2. Directives 3. Expressives 4. Commissives 5. Declaratives






24. Describes how language words today or at any given moment in time - not concerned with origin/history






25. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






26. Deals with the sounds of a language






27. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






28. The meaning derived from flouting






29. A transformation in which you add an auxiliary verb and switching to question format






30. What we say in a literal sense (speech act)






31. The principle of cooperation that requires you be as informative as required but not more than that






32. The overall meaning of a text






33. Aspects of meaning having to do with feelings or attitudes of speakers (liberal - terrorist)






34. The fact that saying something commits you to it (vow - promise - swearing) (speech act)






35. The science that studies language






36. Using the initial letters of a set of words (NFL - NASA)






37. The principle of cooperation that states to avoid obscurity and ambiguity - be brief and orderly






38. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






39. The principle of cooperation that requires you be as informative as required but not more than that






40. Moving parts of a sentence into different positions for emphatic purposes






41. Shortening a longer word (phone - auto) to create new words






42. A transformation in which you add a negation word to the sentence






43. Meanings of the same word that are unrelated (bank)






44. Shift in meaning (drink a glass of water)






45. Two linked turns by different speakers which make sense only taken together (How are you? Fine. How about you?)






46. 1. Quality or timbre 2. Volume 3. Length 4. Pitch or tone






47. Words that depend on the context of a sentence for meaning (I - here - now)






48. Parts of a word are translated from other languages to create a new word (Fernsprecher)






49. The science that studies language






50. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes