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. Figurative use of meaning (Bob is a pig)






2. Noam Chomsky's idea that the principles that govern grammar are genetically programmed in human beings






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






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






5. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






7. Noam Chomsky's idea that the principles that govern grammar are genetically programmed in human beings






8. Affix before the root






9. Meaning components






10. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






20. The ability to produce language - what you know






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






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






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






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






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






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






27. The science that studies language






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






29. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






31. Affix in the middle of a word






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






33. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






34. The rise and fall of sentences






35. The overall meaning of a text






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






37. Affix in the middle of a word






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






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






40. Affix before the root






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






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






43. Affix after the root






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






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






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






47. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






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






50. Provides information about the group to which individuals belong