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 new word






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






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






4. Affix in the middle of a word






5. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






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






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






8. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






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






12. The overall meaning of a text






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






20. The meaning derived from flouting






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






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






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






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






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






26. Mental representation of a word






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






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






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






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






31. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






34. The science that studies language






35. Figurative use of meaning (Bob is a pig)






36. The meaning derived from flouting






37. Shift in meaning (drink a glass of water)






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






45. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






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






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






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






49. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






50. Meaning components