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






2. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






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






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






5. Affix in the middle of a word






6. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






8. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






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






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






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






14. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






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






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






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






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






19. The meaning of a sign






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






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






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






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






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






25. The meaning of a sign






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






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






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






29. Deals with how sounds are put together to form words






30. A sentence in context






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






32. 1. Airstream 2. Phonation 3. Nasalization 4. Articulation






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






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






35. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






36. One who knows many languages






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






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






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






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






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






42. A word that has died out






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






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






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






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






47. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






50. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong