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 sentence in which no transformation has been applied






2. A transformation in which you divide the phrasal verb (Mary stood up John --> Mary stoop John up)






3. A transformation in which you divide the phrasal verb (Mary stood up John --> Mary stoop John up)






4. A word that has died out






5. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






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






7. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






9. The rise and fall of sentences






10. Mental representation of a word






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






12. Affix after the root






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






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






15. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






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






18. Deals with how sounds are put together to form words






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






26. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






29. One who knows many languages






30. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






31. Affix before the root






32. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






33. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






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






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






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






38. The effect an utterance has on its audience (speech act)






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






40. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






41. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






43. Affix after the root






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






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






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






47. The meaning of a sign






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






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






50. The rise and fall of sentences