Traditional vs Modern Linguistics

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following language(s) are NOT Indo-Iranian?

Romanian (correct)

Bundeli

Sindhi

Urdu

Which of these is an extinct language derived from the Italic group?

Dalmatian (correct)

Avestan

Sanskrit

Raetian

Which of the following languages are NOT in the Indian subgroup?

Oriya

Bengali

Baluchi (correct)

Sindhi

Which of these languages is NOT a Romance language?

Ossetian (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the direct ancestor of Romanian?

Latin (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these languages are considered dialects of the same language?

Hindi and Urdu (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which language is considered the "mother language" of Romance languages?

Latin (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these languages is NOT part of the Italic group?

Ossetian (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which language family includes the languages of English, German, and Dutch?

Germanic (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these languages is NOT considered a Baltic language?

Polish (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which language group includes languages spoken in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales?

Celtic (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which language is NOT a part of the Slavic language family?

Romanian (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the name of the language family that includes Albanian?

Isolate (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these languages is classified as an isolate?

Armenian (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which language family includes languages like Scots, Manx, and Irish?

Celtic (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a part of the Germanic language family?

Finnish (C) Signup and view all the answers

Who was the first grammarian to elaborate a full handbook of grammar?

Dionysius Thrax (D) Signup and view all the answers

What did Aristotle contribute to classical grammar?

Classified conjunctions and defined verbs in terms of tense (D) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of language did early grammarians primarily focus on?

Writing as the flawless mode of language (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which group's works helped to produce the first types of dictionaries?

The Arab and Muslim grammarians (B) Signup and view all the answers

What was the focus of the 17th century grammarians of Port-Royal in France?

To develop a philosophical grammar (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements about medieval grammar is true?

It included significant contributions from Latin and Arabic scholars. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes prescriptive grammar from descriptive grammar?

Prescriptive grammar dictates rules for correct language use. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What did Aelius Donatius and Priscian primarily provide for language learners?

Reference books and grammar textbooks (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant shortcoming of traditional grammar?

It is normative and prescriptive rather than descriptive. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which approach does traditional grammar primarily use?

Diachronic (A) Signup and view all the answers

What aspect of language does traditional grammar prioritize?

Written form of language (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a noted critique of traditional grammar according to Fries?

It holds a literary bias and is not insightful. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How many definitions of a sentence are noted as a limitation in traditional grammar?

About 200 (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a linguistic level that traditional grammar adequately addresses?

Pragmatic (B) Signup and view all the answers

In terms of meaning, what is a limitation of traditional grammar?

It cannot adequately analyze total meaning. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is an implication of traditional grammar's reliance on classical languages?

It provides a poor model for languages that differ. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of pedagogical grammar as described in the content?

Aims to document the historical development of language (A) Signup and view all the answers

What was the primary motivation behind the development of pedagogical grammar in the 18th century?

To promote a more standardized and widely understood English (D) Signup and view all the answers

The most important branch of linguistics in 19th century Europe was:

Comparative Philology (C) Signup and view all the answers

What discovery by Sir William Jones significantly impacted the field of comparative philology?

The relationship between Sanskrit, Latin, Greek, and German (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the content, what is the primary technique used in comparative linguistics?

Comparing phonological, morphological, syntactic, and lexical systems of languages. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between traditional grammar and modern linguistics?

Traditional grammar seeks to prescribe rules for correct usage, while modern linguistics describes how language is actually used. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key factor that contributed to the prominence of traditional grammar in the 18th century?

The rise of English as a distinct language, leading to a need for standardized grammar. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why traditional grammar overemphasized the importance of writing over speech?

Because the written word was considered a more permanent and reliable form of expression. (B) Signup and view all the answers

How did the influence of classical languages like Latin impact the development of traditional grammar?

Classical languages provided a model for developing prescriptive rules for grammar. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of traditional grammar that modern linguists generally reject?

Prescribing grammatical rules rather than observing how language is actually used. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a typical characteristic of books on traditional grammar?

Detailed explanations of the different varieties of English. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these statements BEST reflects the modern linguistic perspective on language?

Language is dynamic and constantly evolving, with no single 'correct' form. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why traditional grammarians overemphasized writing?

They thought writing was more permanent and reliable than speech. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Aims and Objectives

Traditional grammar differs from modern linguistics in language study, analysis, and principles
Traditional grammar's features are briefly stated
Modern linguistics' concepts are concisely identified
Differentiating between traditional and modern linguistics
Understanding the main contributions of traditional grammar

Introduction

Language changes over generations, affecting sound and meaning
Traditional grammar and modern linguistics are two branches of analysis
Before the 19th century, linguistics was called philology, based on philosophical grammar
19th century saw a shift to a scientific approach to language study

The Conception of Traditional Language Studies

Traditional grammar studies predate modern linguistics, examining language before 1916
Periods include classical (Latin/Greek), medieval, pedagogical, and comparative historical grammar
Each period has different assumptions about language analysis

Classical Grammar

Greek grammarians in the 5th century B.C. began investigating language
They distinguished nouns and verbs and discussed etymology (word origin)
Grammarians like Aristotle and Plato contributed to classifying language elements
Alexandrian grammarians, including Dionysius Thrax, developed comprehensive grammar frameworks

Medieval Grammar

Latin remained dominant in scholarly works
17th-century grammarians (e.g., Port-Royal) developed philosophical grammar
They looked at common principles across languages, contributing to grammar's understanding
Arab/Muslim grammarians also contributed through lexicography (dictionaries) and translations

Pedagogical Grammar

18th-century British grammarians focused on teaching English
They created standardized rules and norms for usage
Their focus was more practical and pedagogical than theoretical

Comparative Philology

Comparing languages helps understand relationships and origins
Comparative method establishes connections among language families
Sir William Jones's 1786 observation linked Sanskrit, Latin, Greek, and German, hinting at a common ancestor

Indo-European Family of Languages

Classifies languages into subgroups showing their genetic relationships
Indo-European languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, and others are grouped into subgroups
Extinct languages are noted and listed.

Characteristics of Traditional Grammar

Traditional grammar is prescriptive, setting rules for usage, not descriptive, observing how languages are used
Focus on written language, ignoring the spoken form
It primarily focuses on Latin, Greek, and other Indo-European languages (not universally applicable)
Traditional grammar has limitations in handling complex language, different dialects or genres

Main Contributions of Classical Grammar

Classified language elements (e.g., parts of speech, verb tenses, voice) - this has influenced modern grammar
Developed grammatical terms and concepts which form the fundament of today's grammatical terms
Established methods for language analysis which influenced the study of grammar

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Description

Explore the contrasts between traditional grammar and modern linguistics in this quiz. Understand key features and contributions of both branches of language study, and learn about the evolution of language analysis from classical to contemporary times.