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 situation in which a sentence is uttered






2. Affix before the root






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






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






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






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






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






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






9. Affix before the root






10. One who knows many languages






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






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






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






14. A word that has died out






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






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






17. Breaking a word down by the way it looks and adding morphemes (workaholic - veggieburger)






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






19. Affix in the middle of a word






20. Actually saying a word - what you can do






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






22. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






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






24. Deals with the sounds of a language






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






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






27. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






28. Meaning components






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






30. A sentence in context






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






32. Deals with how the sounds are organized






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






34. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






44. The rise and fall of sentences






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






46. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






47. Mental representation of a word






48. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






50. The overall meaning of a text