Question 1

Which of the following is TRUE about language variation?
A) Languages vary grammatically and orthographically, but not lexically
B) Every speaker of a dialect uses the same set of linguistic features
C) Languages vary phonologically and lexically, but not orthographically
D) Speakers can only have one variety of a language in their idiolect
E) Linguistic changes that occur within different groups of speakers often lead to language variation

Accepted Answer

Language variation occurs due to linguistic changes that occur within different groups of speakers. These changes may occur phonologically, lexically, and orthographically. It is also important to note that every speaker of a dialect does not use the same set of linguistic features, making option B incorrect. Additionally, languages vary in all aspects - grammatically, orthographically, and lexically, making option A incorrect. Lastly, speakers can have multiple varieties of a language in their idiolect, making option D incorrect.

Question 2

Using the word language as your example, define and describe the concepts of associative meaning and conceptual meaning.

Accepted Answer

Associative meaning refers to the personal or emotional connections that individuals have with a word. It is the subjective and individualized associations that people make with a word based on their personal experiences, memories, and cultural background. For example, the word "language" may have different associative meanings for different people. For someone who grew up in a multilingual household, the word "language" may evoke feelings of diversity and communication. For someone who struggled with learning a new language, the word "language" may bring up feelings of frustration or challenge.

On the other hand, conceptual meaning refers to the objective and shared understanding of a word within a specific language community. It is the general definition or concept that is agreed upon by a group of people. For example, the conceptual meaning of the word "language" refers to a system of communication using sounds, gestures, or written symbols that are understood by a group of people.

In summary, associative meaning is the personal and emotional connections that individuals have with a word, while conceptual meaning is the shared and agreed-upon understanding of a word within a language community. Both types of meaning contribute to our overall understanding and interpretation of language.

Question 3

Define, compare, and contrast language, dialect, and idiolect.

Accepted Answer

Language, dialect, and idiolect are all terms used to describe different forms of communication within a specific group or community.

Language refers to a system of communication that is used by a particular group of people. It includes vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, and is typically associated with a specific geographical region or cultural group. For example, English, Spanish, and Mandarin are all examples of different languages.

Dialect, on the other hand, refers to a specific form of a language that is spoken by a particular group within a larger community. Dialects can vary in terms of pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, and are often associated with specific regions or social groups. For example, in the United States, there are different dialects of English spoken in the South, the Midwest, and the Northeast.

Idiolect is a term used to describe the unique way in which an individual speaks or writes. It encompasses an individual's personal vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation, and is influenced by factors such as their upbringing, education, and personal experiences. Essentially, idiolect is the specific way in which each person uses language to communicate.

In summary, language refers to a broader system of communication used by a group, dialect refers to a specific form of a language spoken by a subgroup, and idiolect refers to an individual's unique way of using language. While language and dialect are more collective forms of communication, idiolect is more personal and individualized.

Question 4

Compare and contrast the terms dialect, grammar, and linguistic features.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Compare and contrast the terms dialect, grammar,...

Question 5

Which of the following is an accurate morphological analysis?
A) The word sunset is formed through the process of clipping
B) The word houses contains one free morpheme and one bound morpheme
C) The word antidisestablishmentarianism contains only free morphemes
D) The word butterfly is formed through the process of blending
E) The verb judged contains an inflectional prefix

Accepted Answer

The word "houses" contains the free morpheme "house" and the bound morpheme "-s" which creates the plural form.

Question 6

Which of the following is true about phonology?
A) Phonology is the study of the underlying rule system or structure of speech sounds as they are used in a particular language or dialect
B) Examples of phonological rules include nasalization, derivation, and blending
C) While IPA is used to represent phonetics, orthography is used to represent phonology
D) Phonological rules prove that individual phones must be articulated in ways that do not affect or influence one another
E) Phonological rules prove that without standardization, speakers would not be able to understand each other

Accepted Answer

Phonology is the study of how speech sounds are organized and used in a particular language or dialect. It focuses on the underlying rules or structure of sounds, rather than the physical properties of individual sounds themselves (which is the domain of phonetics). Option B is incorrect because the examples given are actually types of phonological processes, not rules. Option C is incorrect because both phonetics and phonology can be represented using IPA, while orthography is typically used to represent the written form of a language. Option D is incorrect because phonological rules often involve the interaction between different sounds in a language, rather than their isolation from each other. Option E is also incorrect, as standardization is not a necessary requirement for communication but rather a helpful tool for facilitating understanding between speakers.

Question 7

Which of the following is true about dialects?
A) They may be associated with regional but not social varieties
B) They each develop from a more pure, standard form of the language
C) They can be defined as the sets of phonological rules that underlie accents
D) Even though the public may view them differently in terms of their social status, all dialects are linguistically equal
E) Linguists use the term dialect to refer only to linguistic varieties that have not been standardized

Accepted Answer

This statement is true according to linguistic theory. While society may assign different values to different dialects based on their perceived social status, from a linguistic perspective, all dialects are equally valid linguistic systems with their own unique grammar and rules.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT true about an idiolect?
A) An idiolect contains all of the ways one person speaks, including formal and informal styles
B) An idiolect can include one or more than one dialect
C) An idiolect contains grammatical speech and syntactic structures
D) One's idiolect can no longer change after he/she enters school and learns a standard form
E) An idiolect can include one or more than one language

Accepted Answer

One's idiolect can continue to change throughout their life, even after learning a standard form in school.

Question 9

An Englishwoman runs screaming into an Atlanta police station: "There's a dead body in my boot!" Officer Johnson looks at her askance and turns his attention to her feet: "Lady, you're wearing flip flops!" Aggravated, she drags him out to her car to introduce him to the corpse in her car trunk, which she again calls her boot. The breakdown in communication here that required visual clarification was caused by which type of linguistic variation:
A) Lexical
B) Phonetic
C) Syntactic
D) Phonotactic
E) Orthographic

Accepted Answer

The variation present in this scenario is lexical, as in Britain, where the woman is from, "boot" is used to mean the trunk of a car, while in America, where the officer is from, "boot" commonly refers to footwear.

Question 10

In our definition of language, the term conventional means:
A) Language change is inevitable
B) Language structure is based on the spoken, not written, form
C) Language is governed by a set of complex, grammatical rules
D) Even though there is no one-to-one correlation between sound and meaning, speakers of a language implicitly agree to use the same words to refer to the same concepts
E) Even though linguistic rules are random, linguists are still able to diagram sentences to show grammaticality

Accepted Answer

The term conventional in our definition of language refers to the fact that even though there is no one-to-one correlation between sound and meaning, speakers of a language implicitly agree to use the same words to refer to the same concepts. This agreement on the meaning of words and the rules of language use is what makes language conventional. Therefore, choice D is the best answer.

Question 11

The use of "arbitrary" in our definition of language refers to which of the following?
A) Phrase structure rules are meaningless without their associated lexical rules
B) Standardized forms can come from any linguistic variety and may even be pieced together from multiple dialects
C) There must be a consensus by a majority of speakers to determine whether or not a statement is grammatical or ungrammatical
D) There is no naturally-determined correlation between the sound and meaning of words
E) Whether or not someone understands your dialect may only be a reflection of their language attitudes

Accepted Answer

The use of "arbitrary" in our definition of language refers to the fact that there is no naturally-determined correlation between the sound and meaning of words. The meanings of words are assigned by convention and do not arise directly from the sounds themselves.

Question 12

The set of phonological rules that are associated with a specific linguistic system (language or dialect) is known as a(n):
A) Shibboleth
B) Sociolect
C) Idiolect
D) Dialect
E) Accent

Accepted Answer

An accent refers to the set of phonological rules that are associated with a specific linguistic system, influencing how vowels and consonants are pronounced within a language or dialect.

Question 13

Which of the following is TRUE about language change?
A) Language is change is best describe as a clock and not a lava lamp
B) Language change regularly occurs because of contact with other linguistic systems
C) Language change stops completely within isolated communities
D) Language change occurs when a language is broken and needs to be fixed
E) Language change goes against the natural, inactive state of language

Accepted Answer

Language change regularly occurs because of contact with other linguistic systems. This is because language is a social phenomenon and is influenced by various factors such as migration, globalization, and colonization. When communities come into contact with each other, their languages can interact and change over time, leading to the development of new dialects, accents, and even creole languages.

Question 14

The International Phonetic Alphabet:
A) Despite its name, only presents the phones used in American English
B) Is good for expressing vernacular dialects in writing, but should not be used for standard dialects
C) Is not as accurate as the Latin alphabet for representing the sounds of English
D) Allows for only one phone per symbol as well as only one symbol per phone, unlike English orthography
E) Includes symbols for all consonants, but has symbols for only the vowels that are voiceless

Accepted Answer

The International Phonetic Alphabet allows for only one phone per symbol as well as only one symbol per phone, unlike English orthography, which can represent multiple sounds with a single letter or combination of letters. This is one of the main advantages of using the IPA for linguistic analysis and transcription.

Question 15

Consonants are described phonetically by each of the following categories EXCEPT:
A) Place of articulation
B) Manner of articulation
C) Frontness/Backness
D) Location of the blockage of air
E) Voicing

Accepted Answer

Frontness/Backness describes the position of the tongue in vowels, not consonants. The other categories (place of articulation, manner of articulation, location of the blockage of air, and voicing) all describe aspects of consonant production.

Question 16

Explain the concept of derivation as a word formation process. Then name and describe one other word formation process. Give at least one example for each.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Explain the concept of derivation as a...

Quiz 1: Language and Linguistics

Which of the following is TRUE about language variation?

Using the word language as your example, define and describe the concepts of associative meaning and conceptual meaning.

Define, compare, and contrast language, dialect, and idiolect.

Compare and contrast the terms dialect, grammar, and linguistic features.

Which of the following is an accurate morphological analysis?

Which of the following is true about phonology?

Which of the following is true about dialects?

Which of the following is NOT true about an idiolect?

In our definition of language, the term conventional means:

The use of "arbitrary" in our definition of language refers to which of the following?

The set of phonological rules that are associated with a specific linguistic system (language or dialect) is known as a(n) :

Which of the following is TRUE about language change?

The International Phonetic Alphabet:

Consonants are described phonetically by each of the following categories EXCEPT:

Explain the concept of derivation as a word formation process. Then name and describe one other word formation process. Give at least one example for each.