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






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






3. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






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






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






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






8. Affix before the root






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






10. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






13. Shortening a longer word (phone - auto) to create new words






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






15. An utterance produced by a speaker






16. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






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






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






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






22. One who knows many languages






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






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






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






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






27. Mental representation of a word






28. A word that has died out






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






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






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






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






33. The meaning derived from flouting






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






35. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






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






37. Deals with how sentences are formed






38. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






39. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






40. The overall meaning of a text






41. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






42. A new word






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






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






45. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






46. A new word






47. The meaning of a sign






48. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






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