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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 sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






3. A sentence in context






4. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






5. A transformation in which you change the voice of the sentence (Mary stoop up John --> John was stood up by Mary)






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






7. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






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






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






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






12. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






14. The science that studies language






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






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






17. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






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






19. The science that studies language






20. A transformation in which you change the voice of the sentence (Mary stoop up John --> John was stood up by Mary)






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






22. One who knows many languages






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






24. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






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






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






27. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






28. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






36. A new word






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






38. Affix in the middle of a word






39. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






48. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






50. The rise and fall of sentences







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Can you answer 50 questions in 15 minutes?


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