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






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






4. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






5. Mental representation of a word






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






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






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






9. Meaning components






10. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






21. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






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






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






26. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






28. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






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






30. One who knows many languages






31. A transformation in which you add an auxiliary verb and switching to question format






32. The overall meaning of a text






33. A new word






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






35. The overall meaning of a text






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






37. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






40. Deals with how sentences are formed






41. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






43. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






45. Affix after the root






46. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






48. Actually saying a word - what you can do






49. An utterance produced by a speaker






50. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong