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. The object which you can see - touch - hear - or smell






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






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






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






6. One who knows many languages






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






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






9. A sentence in context






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






11. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






12. The ability to produce language - what you know






13. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






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






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






24. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






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






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






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






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






29. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






30. The overall meaning of a text






31. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






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






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






36. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






46. Affix after the root






47. Affix in the middle of a word






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






49. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






50. An utterance produced by a speaker