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






2. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






3. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






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






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






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






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






9. The meaning of a sign






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






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






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






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






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






15. Mental representation of a word






16. Meaning components






17. A sentence in context






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






19. Affix before the root






20. The science that studies language






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






22. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






24. Affix after the root






25. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






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






29. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






31. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






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






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






35. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






38. The rise and fall of sentences






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






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






41. The overall meaning of a text






42. One who knows many languages






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






44. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






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






46. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






47. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






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






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