Question 1

Syntax refers to the rules that dictate the order of words in a language.

Accepted Answer

Syntax is the set of rules that dictate the arrangement of words in a sentence or phrase in order to convey a complete thought or idea. Therefore, the statement "Syntax refers to the rules that dictate the order of words in a language" is true.

Question 2

All human nonverbal communication is instinctive and thus not influenced by culture.

Accepted Answer

Nonverbal communication may be instinctive, but it is heavily influenced by culture. Different cultures have different norms and expectations regarding facial expressions, body language, and gestures, which can greatly impact the meaning and interpretation of nonverbal cues. For example, direct eye contact may be viewed as respectful in some cultures, but disrespectful in others.

Question 3

After being spoken for generations, pidgins may develop into

Accepted Answer

Pidgins can develop into creole languages, which are more complex languages that have a consistent grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. These creole languages are often spoken as a first language by a community and can evolve over time.

Question 4

What genetic difference has been found between humans and chimpanzees that is likely responsible for the human capability for speech?

Accepted Answer

The FOXP2 gene is associated with speech and language development. A mutation in this gene is believed to have played a significant role in the evolution of human speech capabilities, distinguishing humans from chimpanzees.

Question 5

What are minimal pairs used to identify?

Accepted Answer

Minimal pairs are used to identify phonemes, which are the smallest units of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another. Minimal pairs are pairs of words that differ by only one phoneme, such as "cat" and "bat", or "pen" and "ten". By comparing minimal pairs, linguists can determine which phonemes are contrastive in a language and which ones are not.

Question 6

BEV is a distinct language.

Accepted Answer

BEV, or Black English Vernacular, is not a distinct language but rather a dialect of English.

Question 7

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis? To what extent is it valid?

Accepted Answer

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Question 8

What are the three key characteristics of human language? Discuss whether call systems and ASL-using nonhuman primates display these characteristics.

Accepted Answer

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Question 9

What is Quillpad?

Accepted Answer

Quillpad is a service that converts phonetically spelled South Asian languages into local-language script. It is commonly used to transcribe Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam, Bengali, Kannada, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Nepali, among others.

Question 10

What is BEV? How does it compare to SE?

Accepted Answer

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Question 11

Phonology is the study of speech sounds.

Accepted Answer

Phonology is indeed the study of speech sounds, including their production, distribution, and patterns.

Question 12

What term refers to languages that have descended from the same ancestral language?

Accepted Answer

Daughter languages refer to languages that have descended from the same ancestral language, while sibling and brother languages might have a common ancestor but not necessarily the same one. Descendant languages might refer to any language that has evolved from its earlier form, while protolanguages refer to reconstructed languages believed to be the ancestral forms of modern languages.

Question 13

How do people communicate without speaking?

Accepted Answer

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Question 14

What are the key structures of language? Why is it important to know and understand these features?

Accepted Answer

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Question 15

How are socioeconomic, ethnic, and gender differences reflected in language? Give specific examples.

Accepted Answer

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Question 16

The Romance languages (e.g., French, Spanish) belong to which of the following language families?

Accepted Answer

The Romance languages belong to the Indo-European language family, which is one of the largest language families in the world. This family includes a variety of languages spoken throughout Europe, Western Asia, and South Asia. The Romance languages are a subfamily within Indo-European that evolved from Latin, the language of the ancient Romans. These languages include Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, and Romanian, among others.

Question 17

What do historical linguists study? How is historical linguistics relevant to anthropology?

Accepted Answer

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Question 18

The study of sounds used in speech is known as

Accepted Answer

Phonology is the study of sounds used in speech. It is a subfield of linguistics which deals with the systematic organization of sounds in languages. Historical linguistics deals with the study of how languages change over time, sociolinguistics deals with the social aspects of languages, morphology deals with the study of word structure, and Ebonics is a term used to refer to the African American English dialect.

Question 19

Which of the following statements best describes the use of language by apes?

Accepted Answer

Apes have been shown to be capable of learning American Sign Language and have demonstrated the abilities of cultural transmission, productivity, and displacement in their language use. However, there is still a distinct gap between human and ape language capabilities.

Question 20

What are focal vocabularies? Why do they exist?

Accepted Answer

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Quiz 4: Language and Communication