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






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






3. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






5. Meaning components






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






7. A sentence in context






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






9. The meaning of a sign






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






11. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






14. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






15. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






16. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






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






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






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






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






22. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






24. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






25. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






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






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






28. Affix after the root






29. Affix in the middle of a word






30. What can be deduced from the sentence's literal meaning






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






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






33. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






34. A new word






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






36. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






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






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






41. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






42. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






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






44. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






45. Affix in the middle of a word






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






47. A sentence in context






48. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






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






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