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. Affix before the root






2. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






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






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






6. Actually saying a word - what you can do






7. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






8. The overall meaning of a text






9. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






10. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






11. Breaking a word down by the way it looks and adding morphemes (workaholic - veggieburger)






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






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






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






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






16. Historical - shows how language has changed through time - traces the etymology of words






17. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






18. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






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






20. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






21. A new word






22. A black and white - right and wrong approach to language - traditional - seeks to impose outside arbitrary rules






23. The meaning derived from flouting






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






25. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






27. Deals with the meaning of words - sentences - and texts






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






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






30. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






31. A transformation in which you change the voice of the sentence (Mary stoop up John --> John was stood up by Mary)






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






33. Affix in the middle of a word






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






35. Deals with how the sounds are organized






36. The Principle of cooperation that states that one does not say what is false or what you lack evidence for






37. Change the meaning of a word - or part of speech (ex. child -> childhood)






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






39. Occurs when words have been disambigued and a sentence has a clear meaning






40. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






41. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






42. A sentence in context






43. 1. Vowels (no obstruction) 2. Stops (complete obstruction) 3. Fricatives (Partial occlusion)






44. A transformation in which you change the voice of the sentence (Mary stoop up John --> John was stood up by Mary)






45. A word that has died out






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






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






48. Aspects of meaning having to do with different levels of formality






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






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