Question 1

What are some ways in which linguistics can aid archaeologists,biological anthropologists,and sociocultural anthropologists who are interested in history?

Accepted Answer

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Question 2

African American Vernacular English (AAVE)is an incomplete linguistic system that is able only to express thoughts and ideas related to life in inner-city communities.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. AAVE is a complete and grammatically consistent dialect of English that has its own rules and structures. It is not limited to expressing thoughts and ideas related to life in inner-city communities.

Question 3

In all languages,the same honorifics have the same meaning,regardless of context.

Accepted Answer

Honorifics can have different meanings depending on the context and culture. For example, in Japan, the honorific "san" can be used for showing respect, but it can also be used as a neutral title for someone's name. In Korean culture, honorifics often reflect social status and age, and different titles are used for different situations. Therefore, it is not true that the same honorifics have the same meaning across all languages and contexts.

Question 4

Creole languages are commonly found in regions where different linguistic groups come into contact with one another.

Accepted Answer

Creole languages typically occur in areas where there is a history of linguistic diversity and contact, such as in former European colonies in the Caribbean, Africa, and the Indian Ocean.

Question 5

Discuss some common interests of linguistics and ethnography.Of what use can knowledge of linguistic techniques and principles be to the ethnographer?

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Question 6

Studies investigating differences in the way men and women talk are examples of sociolinguistics.

Accepted Answer

Sociolinguistics is the study of how language intersects with social factors such as gender, ethnicity, and social class. Therefore, studies investigating differences in language use between men and women fall within the realm of sociolinguistics.

Question 7

Compare and contrast the evolution of language and biological evolution.What role may mutations play in the origins of human language,if any?

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Question 8

What is linguistic relativity? Illustrate how it applies to languages and to dialects of English.

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

Sociolinguistics has demonstrated that men lack the linguistic capacity to distinguish between slight changes in color.

Accepted Answer

This statement is not supported by sociolinguistic research. While there may be cultural and societal factors that influence how men perceive and describe colors, there is no evidence to suggest that they lack the linguistic capacity to distinguish between them.

Question 10

Problems arise with contemporary means of communication,such as texting and online messaging,because much of what we communicate is a nonverbal reflection of emotional states.

Accepted Answer

Nonverbal communication such as facial expressions, tone of voice, and body language can provide important context and information about someone's emotions that is often lost in texting or online messaging.

Question 11

The world's linguistic diversity has been cut in half,as measured by the number of distinct languages extant,in the past 500 years; and half the remaining languages are predicted to disappear during this century.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true. According to UNESCO, out of the approximately 7,000 languages spoken in the world today, around 3,000 are considered to be endangered and half of them are predicted to disappear by the end of the century.

Question 12

According to some estimates,the world's linguistic diversity has been cut in half in the past 500 years,and half the remaining languages are predicted to disappear during this century.Why does this matter? Isn't this just a natural result of globalization,something we should actually celebrate because it makes communication among diverse groups much easier?

Accepted Answer

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Question 13

Historical linguists use linguistic similarities and differences in the world today to study long-term changes in language.

Accepted Answer

Historical linguists study how language changes over time, often by comparing linguistic similarities and differences in different dialects and languages around the world.

Question 14

According to the principle of linguistic relativity,all languages and dialects are equally effective as systems of communication.

Accepted Answer

The principle of linguistic relativity, also known as the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests that the structure and vocabulary of a language shape the way people perceive the world around them. However, this does not imply that one language or dialect is superior to another in terms of communication effectiveness. All languages and dialects are equally effective as systems of communication.

Question 15

Discuss factors that increase linguistic diversity among speakers of the same language.

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

Linguistic stratification can occur between dialects when one is considered a prestige dialect,as is the case with High German and Low German,and with Standard English (SE)and African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

Accepted Answer

Linguistic stratification can indeed occur between dialects when one is considered a prestige dialect, as is the case with High German and Low German, and with Standard English (SE) and African American Vernacular English (AAVE).

Question 17

The origins of AAVE are found mostly in West Africa,rather than in the dialects of the southern part of the United States.

Accepted Answer

AAVE (African American Vernacular English) has its origins in the contact between African languages and English, but its development was significantly influenced by the dialects of the southern part of the United States where enslaved Africans were brought. Its features reflect a complex interaction between African language structures and the English dialects spoken in the American South.

Question 18

How has technology influenced the way you communicate? Considering what you already know about anthropological theory and methods,what kinds of questions might an anthropologist pose about the role of technology in human culture,and particularly language? How might he or she go about answering those questions?

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Question 19

What are honorifics? Why are sociolinguists interested in their use in context? In your everyday life,do you ever use honorifics? What does their use,or lack of use,imply about your relationships to others?

Accepted Answer

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Question 20

Bourdieu argues that languages with the highest symbolic capital are those that are better systems of communication.

Accepted Answer

Bourdieu argues that languages with the highest symbolic capital are those that are associated with power, prestige, and social status, not necessarily those that are better systems of communication.

Quiz 14: Language and Communication