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. 1. Representations 2. Directives 3. Expressives 4. Commissives 5. Declaratives






2. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






5. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






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






7. The meaning of a sign






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






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






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






11. Affix before the root






12. 1. Representations 2. Directives 3. Expressives 4. Commissives 5. Declaratives






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






14. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






15. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






16. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






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






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






19. Actually saying a word - what you can do






20. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






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






22. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






23. The rise and fall of sentences






24. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






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






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






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






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






29. One who knows many languages






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






31. Parts of a word are translated from other languages to create a new word (Fernsprecher)






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






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






34. Meaning components






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






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






37. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






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






39. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






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






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






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






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






46. Affix after the root






47. The science that studies language






48. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






49. The ability to produce language - what you know






50. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes