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. Deals with how sounds are put together to form words






2. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






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






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






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






6. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






8. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






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






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






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






12. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






13. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






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






15. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






17. Affix in the middle of a word






18. The rise and fall of sentences






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






20. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






21. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






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






24. Mental representation of a word






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






26. The meaning derived from flouting






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






28. Affix after the root






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






30. Mental representation of a word






31. A sentence in context






32. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






33. A new word






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






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






36. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






37. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






38. One who knows many languages






39. One who knows many languages






40. A transformation in which you change the voice of the sentence (Mary stoop up John --> John was stood up by Mary)






41. Deals with the sounds of a language






42. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






44. A new word






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






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






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






48. When a public body decides which language will be taught in schools - what languages public employees must know - etc






49. An utterance produced by a speaker






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