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






2. A new word






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






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






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






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






7. Affix after the root






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






9. The branch of pragmatics that studies deictic words






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






11. Deals with the sounds of a language






12. The science that studies language






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






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






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






16. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






18. The overall meaning of a text






19. Deals with the sounds of a language






20. Blending two existing words (motel - brunch)






21. Describes how language words today or at any given moment in time - not concerned with origin/history






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






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






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






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






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






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






28. A sentence in which no transformation has been applied






29. An utterance produced by a speaker






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






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






32. When a public body decides which language will be taught in schools - what languages public employees must know - etc






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






34. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






35. The science that studies language






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






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






38. The meaning of a sign






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






40. How sentences and texts are used in the world(context)






41. A sentence in context






42. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






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






44. The set of sentences that must be true for the sentence to be true






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






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






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






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






49. Affix in the middle of a word






50. An utterance produced by a speaker