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. Invent new words from scratch (Xerox - Kleenex)






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






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






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






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






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






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






8. Deals with how the sounds are organized






9. A black and white - right and wrong approach to language - traditional - seeks to impose outside arbitrary rules






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






11. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






13. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






15. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






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






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






18. The science that studies language






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






29. A word that has died out






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






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






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






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






34. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






35. One who knows many languages






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






37. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






40. One who knows many languages






41. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






44. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






46. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






47. The meaning of a sign






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






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






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