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






2. A new word






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






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






5. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






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






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






10. Actually saying a word - what you can do






11. The meaning derived from flouting






12. The overall meaning of a text






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






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






15. Affix before the root






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






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






18. The meaning of a sign






19. Deals with how sentences are formed






20. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






21. The science that studies language






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






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






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






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






26. The overall meaning of a text






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






28. The science that studies language






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






30. A sentence in context






31. The rise and fall of sentences






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






33. Deals with how the sounds are organized






34. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






35. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






36. A word that has died out






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






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






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






40. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






41. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






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






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






46. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






47. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






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






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






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