Language change
What are some of the major textbooks that discuss language change?
a) Aitchison (2001)
b) McMahon (1994)
c) Bauer (1994)
d) All of the above
Answer: d) All of the above
According to Raymond (2003), what insights can be gained from studying how languages change?
a) Insights about language acquisition and its use in society.
b) Insights about historical events only.
c) Insights about written language only.
d) Insights about a single language.
Answer: a) Insights about language acquisition and its use in society.
What is a key characteristic of traditional linguistics as described in the text?
a) It analyzes language based solely on written texts.
b) It is known for its focus on the differences between spoken and written language.
c) It analyzes language based on philosophy and semantics without distinguishing between speaking and writing.
d) It is primarily concerned with modern language use
Answer: c) It analyzes language based on philosophy and semantics without distinguishing between speaking and writing.
What role does morphology play in relation to syntax and phonology in many languages?
a) It acts as a mediator between deep syntactic case and surface realization.
b) It is unrelated to syntax and phonology.
c) It only exists in analytical languages.
d) It is less important than phonetics.
Answer: a) It acts as a mediator between deep syntactic case and surface realization.
What does Roberts (1993) suggest about the theme of syntactic change?
a) It is easy to cover comprehensively in an overview chapter.
b) It is impossible to do justice to due to its vastness.
c) It is primarily concerned with phonological change.
d) It has been extensively documented in this chapter.
Answer: b) It is impossible to do justice to due to its vastness.
Which linguistic approach was initiated by de Saussure in the early 20th century?
a) Neogrammarian model
b) Structuralist approach
c) Generative approach
d) Phonological approach
b) Structuralist approach
What is a fundamental principle about all languages mentioned in the text?
a) All languages remain static over time.
b) All languages change, although the rate of change may vary.
c) Only some languages undergo change.
d) Languages only change due to external factors.
b) All languages change, although the rate of change may vary.
During which period did the debate between natural and conventional language take place according to the text?
a) Roman Period
b) Renaissance
c) Greek Period
d) Middle Age
c) Greek Period
How does morphology typically arise in the historical development of languages?
a) Through the addition of new independent elements.
b) Through the contraction of independent elements.
c) Through random phonetic changes.
d) Through external social influences.
Answer: b) Through the contraction of independent elements.
According to the text, what tends to condition syntactic variation more than social factors?
a) External influences
b) Phonological factors
c) Internal linguistic factors and context
d) Random chance
Answer: c) Internal linguistic factors and context.
According to Bauer (2007), where does a language exist?
a) In an individual
b) In a community
c) In a textbook
d) In written form
b) In a community
How does the text describe the nature of language change?
a) Language change is entirely unpredictable.
b) Language change is largely regular, with identifiable patterns.
c) Language change only affects vocabulary.
d) Language change is inconsistent and chaotic
b) Language change is largely regular, with identifiable patterns.
Who is recognized as the master of structural linguistics?
a) Aristotle
b) Noam Chomsky
c) Ferdinand de Saussure
d) Varro
Answer: c) Ferdinand de Saussure
What is an example of internal irregularity within a paradigm mentioned in the text?
a) The formation of a new language.
b) The voicing of segments due to syllable stress.
c) The influence of another language.
d) The introduction of new grammatical rules.
Answer: b) The voicing of segments due to syllable stress.
What is a key difference between phonological and syntactic change as mentioned in the text?
a) Syntactic variables occur more frequently than phonological ones.
b) Phonological change is less abstract than syntactic change.
c) Syntactic change is less visible and occurs less frequently than phonological change.
d) Syntactic change is primarily influenced by external social factors.
Answer: c) Syntactic change is less visible and occurs less frequently than phonological change.
According to Brown (2007), what are the primary characteristics of language?
a) Language is only visual and does not include symbols.
b) Language is a systemic set of arbitrary symbols that are primarily vocal, have conventionalized meanings, and are used for communication within a speech community.
c) Language is only acquired through formal education.
d) Language is exclusively human and does not include non-human communication.
b) Language is a systemic set of arbitrary symbols that are primarily vocal, have conventionalized meanings, and are used for communication within a speech community
Which languages are mentioned as having changed little over the centuries?
a) English and French
b) Finnish and Icelandic
c) Spanish and Italian
d) German and Dutch
b) Finnish and Icelandic
What does diachronic language study focus on?
a) The study of a language at a specific moment in time.
b) Observed changes in particular languages over time.
c) Only the written aspects of language.
d) The analysis of phonetics only.
Answer: b) Observed changes in particular languages over time.
What does sound change relate to on a purely phonetic level?
a) The increase or decrease in syllable length.
b) The increase or decrease in sonority.
c) The introduction of new phonetic elements.
d) The complexity of syllable structure.
Answer: b) The increase or decrease in sonority
What are the two main types of language change mentioned in the text?
a) Internal and external
b) Historical and modern
c) Phonological and grammatical
d) Sociolinguistic and dialectal
Answer: a) Internal and external.
What does Campbell (2002) suggest about the early developments in linguistics?
a) They were solely focused on grammar and syntax.
b) They were considered part of various fields, including philosophy, rhetoric, and psychology, making it difficult to separate linguistics from general intellectual history.
c) They emerged independently from other disciplines.
d) They had no influence on the history of ideas.
Answer: b) They were considered part of various fields, including philosophy, rhetoric, and psychology, making it difficult to separate linguistics from general intellectual history.
What does Raymond (2003) imply about the explanations for language change?
a) There are many direct answers and clear explanations.
b) There is much speculation and little proof, making it a complex area of study.
c) Language change is a well-understood phenomenon.
d) Language change is unrelated to societal factors.
Answer: b) There is much speculation and little proof, making it a complex area of study.
According to the text, what is the main focus of syntax in linguistics?
a) The sounds of speech.
b) The internal structure of words.
c) Arranging words within constructions.
d) The meaning of individual words.
Answer: c) Arranging words within constructions.
Which phonetic processes are mentioned as exceptions to gradual phonetic change?
a) Assimilation and dissimilation.
b) Epenthesis and metathesis.
c) Vowel reduction and consonant cluster simplification.
d) Palatalization and velarization.
Answer: b) Epenthesis and metathesis
What is a primary cause of external language change according to the text?
a) Variation within a single speech community
b) Innovations by familiar groups of speakers
c) Contact between speakers of different languages or dialects
d) Random chance in language evolution
Answer: c) Contact between speakers of different languages or dialects