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 vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






3. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






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






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






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






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






9. Morphemes that can appear alone (cat)






10. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






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






12. Affix before the root






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






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






15. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






16. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






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






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






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






22. The overall meaning of a text






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






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






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






26. A new word






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






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






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






30. Affix after the root






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






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






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






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






35. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






36. The overall meaning of a text






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






38. Meaning components






39. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






40. The meaning of a sign






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






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






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






44. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






45. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






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






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






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






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