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






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






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






4. The science that studies language






5. Affix after the root






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






18. A sentence in context






19. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






20. The ability to produce language - what you know






21. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






24. Affix before the root






25. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






26. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






27. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






29. A new word






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






31. Meaning components






32. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






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






35. Invent new words from scratch (Xerox - Kleenex)






36. Combined phonemes - the smallest unit of language with a distinct meaning






37. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






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






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






41. The effect an utterance has on its audience (speech act)






42. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






45. A new word






46. The meaning derived from flouting






47. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






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






50. The sequence of sounds that make up a word