Question 1

What is the term for the modern scientific study of all aspects of language?
A) glottochronology
B) phonology
C) linguistics
D) grammar

Accepted Answer

Linguistics is the modern scientific study of all aspects of language, including its structure, variation, and use in different social and cultural contexts. Glottochronology is a subfield of linguistics that focuses on using statistical methods to estimate the age of languages and their relationships to one another, while phonology and grammar are subfields that respectively focus on the sound systems and rule systems of language.

Question 2

What is the term for the study of abstract rules that guide the sound patterns of a language?
A) phonetics
B) phonology
C) syntax
D) morphology

Accepted Answer

The study of abstract rules that guide the sound patterns of a language is called phonology. Phonetics is the study of the physical aspects of speech sounds, syntax is the study of sentence structure, and morphology is the study of word formation.

Question 3

How many free morphemes are there in the word "bedrooms"?
A) none
B) one
C) two
D) three

Accepted Answer

"Bed" and "room" are both free morphemes in the word "bedrooms." "s" is not a morpheme, but a grammatical marker indicating pluralization.

Question 4

Which of the following can be said of all symbols?
A) Symbols are the main form of animal communication.
B) Symbols cannot be learned.
C) Symbols are strictly responses to aspects of the immediate environment.
D) Symbols are any sound or gesture to which cultural tradition has assigned meaning.

Accepted Answer

Symbols are any sound or gesture to which cultural tradition has assigned meaning. This is a universal characteristic of symbols across cultures and societies. Option A is incorrect because symbols are not exclusive to animal communication, humans also utilize symbols. Option B is incorrect because symbols are learned through cultural tradition or socialization. Option C is incorrect because symbols can also be abstract or representational, and may not have a direct connection to the immediate environment.

Question 5

You are a non-English-speaking linguist using a minimal-pair test to study the sound system of English.You pronounce two short words that are exactly the same except for one sound: "bat" and "vat." Then you ask your informants if the difference in sound has any effect on meaning.They say,"Of course-wouldn't you prefer to have your dinner cooked in a vat instead of a bat?" What are these two sounds examples of?
A) phonemes
B) vocal qualifiers
C) vocal segregates
D) morphemes

Accepted Answer

The fact that changing the sound in "bat" to "vat" changes the meaning of the word shows that these two sounds are phonemes, which are the smallest unit of sound that can change the meaning of a word in a specific language. Vocal qualifiers and vocal segregates are not commonly used terms in linguistics, and morphemes refer to the smallest units of meaning in a language, not sound.

Question 6

What is the term for the smallest classes of sounds that make for differences in meaning?
A) allophones
B) morphemes
C) allomorphs
D) phonemes

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are the smallest classes of sounds that make for differences in meaning. Allophones are variations of phonemes that do not change the meaning of a word. Morphemes are the smallest units of language that carry meaning, such as prefixes and suffixes. Allomorphs are variations of a morpheme that have different pronunciations but the same meaning.

Question 7

Which of the following can be said of all languages?
A) They are symbolic systems of communication.
B) They are based on structured sets of signals.
C) They vary in their richness of expression.
D) They share much of the same vocabulary.

Accepted Answer

All languages are symbolic systems used for communication. The way in which they are structured and the signals used may vary, as can their richness of expression and vocabulary. However, their fundamental purpose as a system of communication remains the same.

Question 8

What is the primary focus of linguistic anthropology?
A) the analysis of the sound systems of languages
B) the collection of vocabularies from all languages for comparative purposes
C) how humans use language to transmit culture and develop social relationships
D) the preserving of all languages from extinction

Accepted Answer

Linguistic anthropology focuses on how humans use language as a cultural tool to communicate and build relationships. It looks at the way language shapes our perceptions and beliefs about the world, and how we use language to construct and maintain social identities and power structures. It also considers language change and evolution, as well as the impact of linguistic diversity on individuals and communities.

Question 9

Consider the English word "unhappy." What is the prefix "un-" an example of?
A) an allophone
B) a vocal qualifier
C) a free morpheme
D) a bound morpheme

Accepted Answer

The answer of Consider the English word "unhappy." What is...

Question 10

What do all languages have in common?
A) They are based on inherited symbols and signals.
B) They assemble sounds in meaningful ways.
C) They originated in Europe during Paleolithic times.
D) They evolved from a common language in the Middle East.

Accepted Answer

All languages assemble sounds in meaningful ways to create words, sentences, and meanings. This is the fundamental characteristic of language, regardless of its origin or structure.

Answer: A, B (if choosing more than one) 
 All languages are based on inherited symbols and signals, which are then assembled into meaningful words and sentences through a system of sounds and grammar. However, this is not as fundamental to language as the ability to assemble sounds in meaningful ways.

Answer: C, D 
 These statements are not accurate. While many languages may have originated in Europe or the Middle East, this is not true for all languages. Additionally, the origin of languages is a topic of much debate and speculation, and there is no consensus on a single "common language."

Question 11

To determine the rules of syntax,a linguist assembles strings of morphemes and looks for categories within which certain morphemes will fit.What is this method called?
A) frame substitution
B) glottochronology
C) phonetics
D) phonology

Accepted Answer

The method described is known as frame substitution, where a linguist assembles strings of morphemes to determine the rules of syntax, looking for categories that certain morphemes can fit into.

Question 12

Which of the following do we depend on for the transmission of culture?
A) signals
B) imitation
C) vocalization
D) language

Accepted Answer

Language is the most fundamental tool for the transmission of culture, as it allows us to communicate complex concepts and ideas that are central to culture. While signals, imitation, and vocalization also play important roles in cultural transmission, they are more limited in their scope and ability to convey complex information.

Question 13

What is the term for a system of communicating using sounds or gestures organized by rules?
A) signal
B) form class
C) language
D) vocalization

Accepted Answer

Language is the term used to describe a system of communication using sounds or gestures that are organized by rules. Signals may also be used for communication but they do not necessarily have a set of rules for organization. Form class refers to the grammatical classification of words in a language and vocalization refers specifically to the act of producing sound with the voice.

Question 14

How many bound morphemes are there in the word "unhurriedly"?
A) none
B) one
C) two
D) three

Accepted Answer

The word "unhurriedly" contains three bound morphemes: "un-" (a prefix meaning not), "-hurried" (a root word modified to form an adjective), and "-ly" (a suffix indicating manner).

Question 15

What is the term for the systemic study of the production,transmission,and reception of speech sounds?
A) linguistics
B) morphology
C) syntax
D) phonetics

Accepted Answer

Phonetics is the branch of linguistics that deals with the production, transmission, and reception of speech sounds. It is concerned with the physical properties of speech sounds, such as their articulation, acoustic properties, and perception by the ear and brain. Morphology is the study of the structure of words and how they are formed, while syntax is the study of the structure of sentences and how words are combined in them to convey meaning. So, the best choice for the term is phonetics.

Question 16

Approximately how many different languages are used in the world today?
A) 100,000
B) 6,000
C) 1,000
D) 100

Accepted Answer

According to Ethnologue, a comprehensive catalog of world languages, there are approximately 7,117 living languages in the world today. However, some sources estimate the number to be as high as 7,000-8,000. Option A is an exaggerated number, and options C and D are much lower than the actual number of languages in use today.

Question 17

Linguists elicit groups or combinations of sounds that are used to convey information.What is the term for these meaningful units?
A) phonemes
B) vocal frames
C) morphemes
D) glottochrones

Accepted Answer

Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning in a language, which is what the question describes. Phonemes are units of sound, but they do not convey meaning by themselves. Vocal frames and glottochrones are not standard terms for units of meaning in linguistics.

Question 18

Approximately how many sounds are generally used in spoken language?
A) 10
B) 25
C) 50
D) 100

Accepted Answer

While the number of sounds used in spoken language can vary depending on the language, the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) recognizes approximately 44 distinct sounds, or phonemes, in English. However, when accounting for variations in accents and regional dialects, the total number of sounds used in spoken language can extend to around 50. Therefore, option C) 50 is the best choice.

Question 19

What does the term "syntax" refer to?
A) the rules for combining sounds into words
B) the rules for combining bound and free morphemes
C) the rules for combining morphemes into phrases and sentences
D) the rules for substituting phonemes for morphemes

Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the rules for combining morphemes into phrases and sentences.

Question 20

How many morphemes are found in the word "unkindness"?
A) one
B) two
C) three
D) six

Accepted Answer

"Un-" is a prefix meaning "not," "-kind-" is a root word meaning "to be friendly or generous," and "-ness" is a suffix indicating a state or quality. So, there are three morphemes: "un-" (negation), "kind" (root), and "-ness" (suffix).

Quiz 4: Language and Communication

What is the term for the modern scientific study of all aspects of language?

What is the term for the study of abstract rules that guide the sound patterns of a language?

How many free morphemes are there in the word "bedrooms"?

Which of the following can be said of all symbols?

What is the term for the smallest classes of sounds that make for differences in meaning?

Which of the following can be said of all languages?

What is the primary focus of linguistic anthropology?

Consider the English word "unhappy." What is the prefix "un-" an example of?

What do all languages have in common?

To determine the rules of syntax,a linguist assembles strings of morphemes and looks for categories within which certain morphemes will fit.What is this method called?

Which of the following do we depend on for the transmission of culture?

What is the term for a system of communicating using sounds or gestures organized by rules?

How many bound morphemes are there in the word "unhurriedly"?

What is the term for the systemic study of the production,transmission,and reception of speech sounds?

Approximately how many different languages are used in the world today?

Linguists elicit groups or combinations of sounds that are used to convey information.What is the term for these meaningful units?

Approximately how many sounds are generally used in spoken language?

What does the term "syntax" refer to?

How many morphemes are found in the word "unkindness"?