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






2. Affix before the root






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






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






5. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






6. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






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






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






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






12. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






13. The ability to produce language - what you know






14. Affix after the root






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






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






17. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






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






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






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






21. The science that studies language






22. The set of sentences that must be true for the sentence to be true






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






24. The ability to produce language - what you know






25. The overall meaning of a text






26. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






27. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






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






29. A new word






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






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






32. Moving parts of a sentence into different positions for emphatic purposes






33. Actually saying a word - what you can do






34. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






35. The rise and fall of sentences






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






37. The meaning of a sign






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






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






40. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






49. Core meaning - corresponds to a sign's sense or intension - the literal meaning of a word






50. The science that studies language