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






2. The connection between shape and meaning is arbitrary






3. The principle of cooperation that requires relevance






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






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






6. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






8. The science that studies language






9. Aspects of meaning evoked by cultural or literary codes






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






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






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






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






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






15. Having more than one meaning (polysemy)






16. Mental representation of a word






17. The rise and fall of sentences






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






19. Affixes - need to attach to another morpheme






20. The object which you can see - touch - hear - or smell






21. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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






23. The sequence of sounds that make up a word






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






25. Deals with how sentences are formed






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






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






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






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






30. A word that has died out






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






32. Affix before the root






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






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






35. Meaning components






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






37. The vocabulary of a speaker/language






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






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






48. Affix in the middle of a word






49. The word that connects the meaning and the referent






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