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. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






2. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






3. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






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






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






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






8. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






10. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






12. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






15. Describes how language words today or at any given moment in time - not concerned with origin/history






16. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






17. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






19. A sentence in context






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






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






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






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






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






25. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






26. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






28. Affix after the root






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






30. The rise and fall of sentences






31. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






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






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






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






37. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






39. A word that has died out






40. A word that has died out






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






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






43. An utterance produced by a speaker






44. Meaning components






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






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






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






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






49. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






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