Introduction to Linguistics

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Questions and Answers

What distinguishes Centum languages from Satem languages?

Centum languages have preserved the k-sound, while Satem languages have palatalized it. (correct)

Centum languages include Arabic, while Satem languages include Hebrew.

Centum languages are always ancient languages, while Satem languages are modern.

Centum languages evolved from Latin, while Satem languages did not.

Which of the following is a characteristic of Old English?

A simple vocabulary with fewer words.

A direct influence from modern slang.

A strict absence of inflectional endings.

A rich vocabulary and complex inflections. (correct)

Which of these languages is classified as a non-Indo-European family?

Uralic (correct)

Sanskrit

Germanic

Latin

What is the significance of the Great Vowel Shift in the English language?

It caused long vowels to shift upwards in pronunciation. Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes the unique speech pattern influenced by an individual's geography, social group, and education?

Idiolect Signup and view all the answers

What does the term 'dual nature of linguistic signs' refer to?

The relationship between signifier and signified Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes applied linguistics?

Real-world application of linguistic theory Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary difference between spoken and written English?

Written English is typically more formal than spoken English. Signup and view all the answers

Which is NOT a feature of BASIC ENGLISH?

Complex grammatical structures Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately describes a speech community?

A group that shares a common language and norms for its use Signup and view all the answers

Which branch of phonetics deals with the production of speech sounds?

Articulatory phonetics Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following correctly categorizes 'toothpaste'?

Compound noun Signup and view all the answers

How many speech sounds are typically recognized in English?

44 sounds Signup and view all the answers

Which property of language refers to the absence of a direct connection between a word and its meaning?

Arbitrariness Signup and view all the answers

Which language family does Hungarian belong to?

Uralic Signup and view all the answers

What is the correct number of morphemes in the word 'unreliability'?

Four morphemes Signup and view all the answers

What is the definition of an idiom?

A phrase with a meaning that cannot be deduced from its words Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a provincial standard from a local dialect?

Provincial standards have standardized grammar while dialects do not Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes 'illocutionary force'?

The speaker's intended meaning behind an utterance Signup and view all the answers

What does 'code-switching' refer to?

Alternating between two languages during conversation Signup and view all the answers

Which factor does NOT affect the level of formality in language?

Geographic location Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Linguistics

Linguistics is the scientific study of language, including morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics.
Applied linguistics applies linguistic theory to real-world problems, such as language teaching.
Convention is a socially agreed-upon norm or practice in language use.
A speech community shares a common language or dialect and norms for its use.
A linguistic sign is a unit of meaning, like a word or morpheme.
A linguistic sign has a "signifier" (sound/image) and a "signified" (concept).
Humans uniquely create sign systems for abstract and complex meaning unlike other species.
Language families descend from a common ancestral language.
English is in the Germanic branch, and Slovak belongs to the Slavic branch of Indo-European.
BASIC ENGLISH is a simplified English vocabulary for global communication, proposed by Charles Kay Ogden.
It has a restricted vocabulary (approximately 850 words) and simplified grammar.

Parts of Speech & Language Types

"Toothpaste" is a solid, "high school" is open.
Idiosyncratic pairs are fixed, like "bread and butter" or "give and take".
Speech has types such as commands, questions, statements, and exclamations.
Provincial standards have a standardized grammar and lexicon, while local dialects have unique phonetic, lexical, and grammatical features.
Spoken language is transient, while written language is permanent.
Spoken language utilizes intonation, while written language uses punctuation.
Spoken language tends to be less formal than written language.

Phonetics & Transcription

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is used for transcription.
Examples include: /tof/ for "tough," /'hikʌp/ for "hiccough," and /bıəd/ (British) for "beard".
Phonetics comprises articulatory, acoustic, and auditory branches.
English has approximately 44 speech sounds.
Digraphs represent single sounds using two letters, such as "ch" in "chop" or "sh" in "ship."

Language Properties & Theories

Language has properties including arbitrariness, duality, productivity, displacement, cultural transmission, reflexivity, discreteness, and prevarication.
Words don't inherently link to meaning (arbitrariness).
Language has sound and meaning levels (duality).
Language uses morphemes such as in "unreliability" comprised of four parts (un-, rely-, -able, -ity).
Utterances are spoken words, statements, or expressions.
Speakers have intended functions underlying their utterances.
Uncertainty is expressed through stress like in "I think he knows what I mean".
Requests can use pre-requests such as "could I ask you a favor".
Formality is a continuum from highly formal academic language to casual workplace and informal expressions.
Formal and informal language versions exist.
Formal language is characterized by vocabulary choices and sentence structure.
Factors like accents and dialects can also be indicators of formality.

Language Variation & History

Languages vary regionally, socially, stylistically, and temporally.
Isoglosses mark linguistic boundaries.
Bilingualism is the ability to speak two languages fluently.
Language interference can affect communication by influencing one language with elements of another.

Specific Language Features & Development

Code-switching is alternating between languages within conversation.
Jargon is specialized language used by particular groups—like medical terms.
Protolanguages like Proto-Indo-European are ancestral languages to various existing ones.
The distinction between centum / satem is relevant for identifying language groups.
Synchronic analysis studies language at a specific time whereas diachronic studies language change over time.
Families such as Uralic, Afro-Asiatic, and Sino-Tibetan are not Indo-European.
Cognates share a common origin, while false cognates do not share meaning.
Language influences are shown by examples such as Latin, Norse, and French contributing to English.
The timeline of influence shows how English has developed over time.
Old English is the starting point that established grammar and vocabulary structures.

Language Development and Change

Old English dates from the 5th through the 11th centuries.
The importance of Old English is that it laid the foundation for English vocabulary and grammar.
Chaucer's work, The Canterbury Tales, embodies complex inflections and a rich vocabulary.
The shift from Old English to Middle English saw a loss of inflectional endings.
Works by figures like Shakespeare and Milton exemplify the development of Early Modern English.
The Great Vowel Shift significantly altered English pronunciation through shifts in vowel sounds.
Neologisms are new words like "selfie" and "binge-watch."

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Description

Explore the scientific study of language through this quiz. Delve into key concepts such as morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics, as well as applied linguistics and language communities. Test your knowledge on linguistic signs and language families.