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. Core meaning - corresponds to a sign's sense or intension - the literal meaning of a word






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






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






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






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






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






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






8. When a public body decides which language will be taught in schools - what languages public employees must know - etc






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






10. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






11. The meaning derived from flouting






12. A single sound. K - d - t - e






13. A syntactic phenomenon where a given constituent is in a constituent of the same kind






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






15. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






16. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






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






19. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






20. Meaning components






21. Used by linguists to represent sounds in the languages of the world






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






23. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






25. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






26. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






27. Adding derivational morphemes to create new words (to fax)






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






29. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






30. 1. Airstream 2. Phonation 3. Nasalization 4. Articulation






31. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






32. Affix before the root






33. Combined phonemes - the smallest unit of language with a distinct meaning






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






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






36. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






38. Purposefully violating one of the principles/maxims of cooperation






39. The effect an utterance has on its audience (speech act)






40. Aspects of meaning concerning other meanings of an expression that may be activated when irrelevant (cock)






41. A word that has died out






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






43. Combined phonemes - the smallest unit of language with a distinct meaning






44. Invent new words from scratch (Xerox - Kleenex)






45. Describing the facts - Tries to determine why people use language the way they do - seeks to find the rules that govern spoken language






46. Mental representation of a word






47. Deals with how sentences are formed






48. Invent new words from scratch (Xerox - Kleenex)






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






50. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words