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. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






9. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






10. Aspects of meaning concerning other meanings of an expression that may be activated when irrelevant (cock)






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






12. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






13. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






14. Deals with the sounds of a language






15. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






16. A new word






17. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






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






19. The meaning derived from flouting






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






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






22. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






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






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






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






27. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






30. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






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






32. The meaning of a sign






33. Affix in the middle of a word






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






35. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






36. Required by syntax - mark grammatical categories (plurality - tense - comparative - etc) suffixes only






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






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






39. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






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






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






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






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






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






45. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






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






48. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






49. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






50. The science that studies language