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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 overall meaning of a text






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






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






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






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






6. Affix before the root






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






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






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






10. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






22. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






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






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






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






27. Mental representation of a word






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






29. A new word






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






31. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






33. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






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






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






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






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






39. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






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






43. Affix in the middle of a word






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






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






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






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






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






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






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







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Can you answer 50 questions in 15 minutes?


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