Question 1

Glottochronology is the study of the interrelationships among the vocal tract, glottis, larynx, and pharynx in the production of sound.

Accepted Answer

Glottochronology actually refers to the study of language change over time. The study of the vocal tract, glottis, larynx, and pharynx in sound production falls under the field of phonetics.

Question 2

According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, time is perceived the same way in all cultures.

Accepted Answer

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis suggests that language and culture shape one another, and that the way people perceive and understand the world is strongly influenced by the language they use. Therefore, it is possible that different cultures may perceive and understand time differently depending on their language and culture.

Question 3

More than 70,000 languages are known to have existed.

Accepted Answer

There are approximately 7,000 languages known today, and while many languages have existed throughout human history, the number has never been close to 70,000.

Question 4

The concept of arbitrariness refers to the symbolic nature of words used in human language.

Accepted Answer

The concept of arbitrariness indeed refers to the symbolic nature of words used in human language, which means that there is no inherent connection between the word and the object or concept it represents.

Question 5

Semantics is the study of the meaning of symbols, words, phrases, and sentences in a language.

Accepted Answer

Semantics is indeed the study of the meaning of symbols, words, phrases, and sentences in a language.

Question 6

Most anthropologists maintain that language influences a person's thinking and worldview, but language does not determine thought.

Accepted Answer

While language does influence the way a person thinks, it does not completely determine thought. There is still room for individual interpretation and perspective.

Question 7

Research has concluded that language, as we know it, appeared only within the last 10,000 years and is associated with the development of agriculture and the domestication of animals.

Accepted Answer

Linguistic and archaeological evidence suggests that language likely developed much earlier than 10,000 years ago, with estimates ranging from 50,000 to over 100,000 years ago, well before the advent of agriculture and animal domestication.

Question 8

According to Herbert Terrace's research, chimpanzees are highly intelligent animals that can learn many signs, but cannot understand syntax.

Accepted Answer

Herbert Terrace's research, particularly with a chimpanzee named Nim Chimpsky, concluded that while chimpanzees can learn a significant number of signs, they do not grasp the syntax that governs how words are combined to form meaningful sentences, indicating a fundamental difference in language capabilities between humans and chimpanzees.

Question 9

Language is a system of symbols with standard meanings.

Accepted Answer

Language is a system of symbols such as letters, words, and gestures that have standard meanings agreed upon by a particular group of people.

Question 10

It has been suggested that major cultural advances, cultural evolution, and human creativity could not have occurred before adequate language ability evolved.

Accepted Answer

Language is essential for the transmission and development of culture, and without it, it would be difficult for humans to develop complex societies and advanced technologies. Therefore, it is generally believed that major cultural advances and human creativity could not have occurred before the development of language.

Question 11

Sociolinguists have found that societies that maintain social inequalities and hierarchies often have different forms of the same language that are used for addressing higher or lower status individuals, kin versus nonkin, and males versus females.

Accepted Answer

This statement is true as sociolinguists have observed that language reflects and reinforces social inequalities and hierarchies, and that different forms of addressing individuals based on their status and relationship exist in many societies.

Question 12

Nonverbal communication consisting of body motions and gestures is called kinesics.

Accepted Answer

Kinesics is the study of body motion and gestures, which are nonverbal forms of communication. Therefore, nonverbal communication consisting of body motions and gestures is called kinesics.

Question 13

At the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center at Emory University a chimpanzee named Lana was taught to communicate through a color-coded computer keyboard.

Accepted Answer

This is a factually correct statement. Lana was indeed taught to communicate through a color-coded computer keyboard at the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center at Emory University.

Question 14

Both animals and humans are able to communicate about things or events that are not immediately present.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Both animals and humans are able to...

Question 15

Linguistic anthropologists study phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

Accepted Answer

Linguistic anthropologists study various aspects of language, including phonology (the study of sound systems), morphology (the study of words and their structure), syntax (the study of sentence structure), semantics (the study of meaning), and pragmatics (the study of language use in context).

Question 16

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is an example of linguistic relativism because it maintains that the world is experienced differently among different language communities.

Accepted Answer

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis asserts that language shapes the way we experience and perceive the world, and therefore, the world is experienced differently among different language communities. This is an example of linguistic relativism.

Question 17

Chimpanzees and gorillas have been taught to speak up to 100 English sentences so they can communicate their daily needs as well as humans.

Accepted Answer

This statement is false. While chimpanzees and gorillas have been taught to use sign language and symbols to communicate with humans, they have not been taught to speak English sentences.

Question 18

Linguistic variations within a single language such as differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, or syntax are termed dialects.

Accepted Answer

Linguistic variations within a single language such as differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, or syntax are termed dialects.

Question 19

Anthropologists use the ethnosemantic approach to study how different societies understand and classify everyday objects like animals, plants, and food.

Accepted Answer

The statement is true. Ethnosemantics is a method used in anthropology to study the meaning and classification of words and concepts within a particular culture or society. It focuses on how people within a community use language to communicate their understanding and perception of the world around them, including everyday objects.

Question 20

Phonology is the study of morphemes, the smallest units of a language that convey meaning.

Accepted Answer

Phonology is the study of the sound systems in languages, including the patterns of sounds and their distribution within words. Morphology is the study of morphemes, which are the smallest units of a language that carry meaning.

Quiz 5: Language

Glottochronology is the study of the interrelationships among the vocal tract, glottis, larynx, and pharynx in the production of sound.

According to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, time is perceived the same way in all cultures.

More than 70,000 languages are known to have existed.

The concept of arbitrariness refers to the symbolic nature of words used in human language.

Semantics is the study of the meaning of symbols, words, phrases, and sentences in a language.

Most anthropologists maintain that language influences a person's thinking and worldview, but language does not determine thought.

Research has concluded that language, as we know it, appeared only within the last 10,000 years and is associated with the development of agriculture and the domestication of animals.

According to Herbert Terrace's research, chimpanzees are highly intelligent animals that can learn many signs, but cannot understand syntax.

Language is a system of symbols with standard meanings.

It has been suggested that major cultural advances, cultural evolution, and human creativity could not have occurred before adequate language ability evolved.

Sociolinguists have found that societies that maintain social inequalities and hierarchies often have different forms of the same language that are used for addressing higher or lower status individuals, kin versus nonkin, and males versus females.

Nonverbal communication consisting of body motions and gestures is called kinesics.

At the Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center at Emory University a chimpanzee named Lana was taught to communicate through a color-coded computer keyboard.

Both animals and humans are able to communicate about things or events that are not immediately present.

Linguistic anthropologists study phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is an example of linguistic relativism because it maintains that the world is experienced differently among different language communities.

Chimpanzees and gorillas have been taught to speak up to 100 English sentences so they can communicate their daily needs as well as humans.

Linguistic variations within a single language such as differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, or syntax are termed dialects.

Anthropologists use the ethnosemantic approach to study how different societies understand and classify everyday objects like animals, plants, and food.

Phonology is the study of morphemes, the smallest units of a language that convey meaning.