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 transformation in which you shift the object of a sentence (Mary gave a book to John --> Mary gave John a book)






2. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






3. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






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






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






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






9. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






11. Deals with how sentences are formed






12. What can be deduced from the sentence's literal meaning






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






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






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






16. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






18. The overall meaning of a text






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






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






21. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






23. Associations that an individual/small group may develop through everyday experiences (inside joke)






24. Two words of different meanings that differ in only one phoneme (bit and pit - dog and dock)






25. Affix before the root






26. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






27. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






28. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






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






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






31. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






33. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






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






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






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






39. Two words of different meanings that differ in only one phoneme (bit and pit - dog and dock)






40. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






42. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






43. The science that studies language






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






45. One who knows many languages






46. A new word






47. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






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






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