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. Mental representation of a word






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






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






4. One who knows many languages






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






6. Deals with the sounds of a language






7. The meaning of a sign






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






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






10. A new word






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






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






13. A new word






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






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






16. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






18. Meaning components






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






20. The meaning derived from flouting






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






22. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






24. The rise and fall of sentences






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






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






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






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






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






30. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






31. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






33. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






34. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






36. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






37. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






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






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






40. The meaning derived from flouting






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






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






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






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






45. The meaning of a sign






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






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






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






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






50. The science that studies language