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. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






2. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






5. A new word






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






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






8. Historical - shows how language has changed through time - traces the etymology of words






9. Deals with how sentences are formed






10. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






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






13. Historical - shows how language has changed through time - traces the etymology of words






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






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






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






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






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






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






20. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






22. An utterance produced by a speaker






23. The fact that saying something commits you to it (vow - promise - swearing) (speech act)






24. Mental representation of a word






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






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






27. A word that has died out






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






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






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






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






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






33. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






35. Using the initial letters of a set of words (NFL - NASA)






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






37. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






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






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






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






41. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






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






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






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






46. Meaning components






47. The meaning derived from flouting






48. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






50. Actually saying a word - what you can do