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 add a negation word to the sentence






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






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






4. The rise and fall of sentences






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






6. Mental representation of a word






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






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






9. One who knows many languages






10. The science that studies language






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






12. Deals with how sentences are formed






13. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






14. Deals with how the sounds are organized






15. Deals with the sounds of a language






16. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






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






19. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






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






23. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






25. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






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






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






31. The meaning of a sign






32. Affix before the root






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






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






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






36. The science that studies language






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






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






39. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






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






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






43. The overall meaning of a text






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






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






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






47. Deals with how the sounds are organized






48. Actually saying a word - what you can do






49. The meaning derived from flouting






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