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






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






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






4. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






7. A word that has died out






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






9. Required by syntax - mark grammatical categories (plurality - tense - comparative - etc) suffixes only






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






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






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






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






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






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






16. An utterance produced by a speaker






17. Historical - shows how language has changed through time - traces the etymology of words






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






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






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






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






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






23. Mental representation of a word






24. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






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






27. One who knows many languages






28. Required by syntax - mark grammatical categories (plurality - tense - comparative - etc) suffixes only






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






30. The meaning derived from flouting






31. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






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






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






35. Deals with the sounds of a language






36. The science that studies language






37. A sentence in context






38. The overall meaning of a text






39. A sentence in context






40. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






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






42. Affix in the middle of a word






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






44. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






47. Historical - shows how language has changed through time - traces the etymology of words






48. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong






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






50. The meaning derived from flouting