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. Shift in meaning (drink a glass of water)






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






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






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






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






6. Mental representation of a word






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






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






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






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






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






12. Deals with the sounds of a language






13. The ability to produce language - what you know






14. Mental representation of a word






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






16. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






19. Deals with how the sounds are organized






20. How sentences and texts are used in the world(context)






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






22. Affix after the root






23. The meaning of a sign






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






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






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






27. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






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






30. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






31. One who knows many languages






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






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






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






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






36. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






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






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






41. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






43. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






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






47. The rise and fall of sentences






48. A word that has died out






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






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