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






2. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






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






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






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






6. The meaning derived from flouting






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






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






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






10. The rise and fall of sentences






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






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






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






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






15. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






18. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






19. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






21. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






23. The overall meaning of a text






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






25. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






26. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






28. The meaning derived from flouting






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






30. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






31. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






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






35. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






37. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






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






39. A sentence in context






40. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






43. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






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






47. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






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






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