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. Airstream 2. Phonation 3. Nasalization 4. Articulation






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






3. A transformation in which you shift the object of a sentence (Mary gave a book to John --> Mary gave John a book)






4. 1. Vowels (no obstruction) 2. Stops (complete obstruction) 3. Fricatives (Partial occlusion)






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






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






7. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






8. The meaning derived from flouting






9. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






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






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






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






13. The science that studies language






14. Affix after the root






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






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






17. Deals with the sounds of a language






18. The meaning derived from flouting






19. The rise and fall of sentences






20. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






22. A sentence in context






23. The overall meaning of a text






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






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






26. The science that studies language






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






39. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






40. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






42. The overall meaning of a text






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






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






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






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






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






48. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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