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. Affix before the root






2. Affix before the root






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






4. The rise and fall of sentences






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






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






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






8. A new word






9. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






11. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






27. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






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






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






31. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






32. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






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






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






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






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






38. The situation in which a sentence is uttered






39. Affix after the root






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






41. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






42. The meaning derived from flouting






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






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






45. One who knows many languages






46. The overall meaning of a text






47. The meaning of a sign






48. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






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






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