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






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






4. Shift in meaning (drink a glass of water)






5. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






7. A new word






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






9. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






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






13. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






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






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. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






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






19. The meaning of a sign






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






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






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






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






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






25. Affix after the root






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






27. One who knows many languages






28. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






31. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






32. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






35. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






36. The rise and fall of sentences






37. Affix before the root






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






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






40. The overall meaning of a text






41. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






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






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






45. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






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






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






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






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






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