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






2. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






5. Meaning components






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






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






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






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






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






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






12. The meaning derived from flouting






13. Affix in the middle of a word






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






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






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






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






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






19. A new word






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






30. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






32. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






33. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






35. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






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






38. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






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






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






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






43. The rise and fall of sentences






44. A new word






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






46. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






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






50. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance