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. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






4. The meaning derived from flouting






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






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






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






8. Multiword units - the meaning of which is not the sum of its parts






9. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






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






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






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






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






15. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






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






17. 1. Representations 2. Directives 3. Expressives 4. Commissives 5. Declaratives






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






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






20. A word that has died out






21. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






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






23. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






24. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






25. Actually saying a word - what you can do






26. The meaning derived from flouting






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






28. The science that studies language






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






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






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






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






33. A new word






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






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






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






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






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






39. The meaning of a sign






40. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






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






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






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






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






46. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






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






48. The meaning of a sign






49. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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