18 Questions
Which language family does Latin belong to?
Italic
Which language family does English belong to?
Germanic
What region does North Germanic languages primarily cover?
Iceland
Which languages are considered part of the Romance language group?
Spanish and Portuguese
Where did Latin spread during the Roman Empire's expansion?
Africa
Which language is considered the principal language of East Germanic?
Gothic
Which term was commonly used a century ago to designate the family of languages located in India and the plateau of Iran?
Aryan
Why has the term Aryan been generally abandoned in modern times?
Because it lacked specificity in describing the language family
Which term is criticized for giving undue emphasis to the Germanic languages within the family?
Indo-Germanic
What term is now most widely used to designate the geographical extent of the Indo-European language family?
Indo-European
Which branch of the Indo-European family is mentioned in the text?
Baltic
What aspect allows linguists to form a fair idea of the common Indo-European language despite having no written record of it?
Comparison of its descendant languages
Which of the following is NOT a feature that indicates a close relationship between English and German?
The word 'wasser' in German is unrelated to the English word 'water'.
What term is used to refer to a group of languages that have descended or differentiated from a common parent language?
Language family
According to the passage, what is a possible outcome when a community separates from another for a considerable length of time?
The development of separate languages that are unintelligible to each other.
Which of the following pairs of words demonstrates the connection between Latin and English, as mentioned in the passage?
Both (a) and (b)
What is the primary reason mentioned in the passage for the development of local dialects?
Slight separation of one community from another
According to the passage, what happens to individual differences in speech within a community where constant communication takes place?
They merge into the general speech of the community.
Study Notes
The Italic Branch
- The Italic branch of languages has its center in Italy, but Latin was not the only language spoken in the region.
- The Italian peninsula was settled by various cultures due to its geographical situation and climate.
- Latin spread to Spain, Gaul, northern Africa, the Mediterranean islands, and Britain through Roman colonization.
The Romance Languages
- The languages that evolved from Latin are known as Romance or Romanic languages.
- The main Romance languages are French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian.
- These languages have spread to other territories, particularly in the New World.
The Germanic Branch
- The Germanic branch of languages is divided into East Germanic, North Germanic, and West Germanic.
- The principal language of East Germanic is Gothic.
- North Germanic is spoken in Scandinavia, Denmark, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.
- West Germanic is the group that includes English.
The Indo-European Family
- The Indo-European family of languages includes languages spoken in Europe, India, and the Iranian plateau.
- The parent tongue of Indo-European languages is unknown due to the lack of written records.
- The Indo-European languages can be grouped into eleven branches: Indian, Iranian, Armenian, Hellenic, Albanian, Italic, Balto-Slavic, Germanic, Celtic, Hittite, and Tocharian.
- The languages show varying degrees of similarity, with geographical distribution being a key factor.
Dialectal Differentiation
- Constant communication among speakers leads to a shared language, while separation can lead to dialectal differences.
- Prolonged separation can result in the development of separate languages.
- Despite differences, languages can still retain common features, indicating a shared ancestry.
- Examples of language relationships include English and German, and Latin and English.
Learn about the various names used to designate the language family which includes languages located in India, Iran, and Europe. Explore the historical context and shifts in terminology over time.
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