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 an auxiliary verb and switching to question format






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






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






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






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






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






7. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






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






10. 1. Representations 2. Directives 3. Expressives 4. Commissives 5. Declaratives






11. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






12. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






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






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






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






18. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






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






20. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






21. Affix before the root






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






23. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






24. Invent new words from scratch (Xerox - Kleenex)






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






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






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






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






29. A sentence in context






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






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






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






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






34. Affix before the root






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






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






37. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






38. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






40. Meaning components






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






42. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






43. A new word






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






45. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






46. A word that has died out






47. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






48. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






49. Affix in the middle of a word






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