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






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






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






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






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






6. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






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






9. The science that studies language






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






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






12. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






20. A transformation in which you add a negation word to the sentence






21. Mental representation of a word






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






23. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






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






26. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






27. Mental representation of a word






28. 1. Airstream 2. Phonation 3. Nasalization 4. Articulation






29. A transformation in which you add a negation word to the sentence






30. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






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






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






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






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






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






36. Affix before the root






37. The rise and fall of sentences






38. The overall meaning of a text






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






40. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






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






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






43. 1. Vowels (no obstruction) 2. Stops (complete obstruction) 3. Fricatives (Partial occlusion)






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






45. A word that has died out






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






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






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






49. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






50. A sentence in context







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Can you answer 50 questions in 15 minutes?


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