Question 1

__________ refers to the specialized set of terms and distinctions that are particularly important to certain groups.

Accepted Answer

Focal vocabulary refers to the specific set of words and distinctions that are important to certain cultural or social groups. These words may not have an exact equivalent in other languages or may have a different meaning when used outside of the specific group.

Question 2

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis argues that

Accepted Answer

The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, also known as linguistic relativity, posits that the language we speak influences the way we think and perceive the world around us. It suggests that our language shapes our thoughts and actions, affecting everything from our perception of time to our interpretation of events. While it is debated among linguists and cognitive scientists, this hypothesis has inspired a great deal of research into the relationship between language and cognition.

Question 3

__________ argued that all human languages have a common structural basis and that all humans have similar linguistic abilities.

Accepted Answer

The statement is referring to the theory of Universal Grammar, which was proposed by Noam Chomsky. He argued that all human languages have a common underlying structure and that there is a genetic basis for language acquisition, which he called Universal Grammar.

Question 4

The study of the forms in which sounds combine to form words and their meaningful parts is

Accepted Answer

The study of the forms in which sounds combine to form words and their meaningful parts is called morphology. Phonology is the study of how sounds function in a particular language. Syntax is the study of the rules governing the structure of sentences. Lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, including all of its words and their meanings. Grammar refers to the rules that govern the structure of a language.

Question 5

The statement, __________, is not true.

Accepted Answer

Nonhuman primate calls do not demonstrate linguistic productivity, which is the ability to create new expressions by combining other expressions. This is a feature of human language, not nonhuman primate communication.

Question 6

The study of communication through body movements, stances, gestures, and expressions is

Accepted Answer

The study of communication through body movements, stances, gestures, and expressions is called kinesics. Ethnosemantics is the study of how people perceive and classify things in the world based on their cultural and linguistic background. Biosemantics is the study of the meaning of signs and symbols in biological entities. Protolinguistics is the study of language origins and evolution. Phonemics is the study of the sound systems of languages.

Question 7

__________ refers to all of a language's morphemes and their meanings.

Accepted Answer

The lexicon is the complete set of the morphemes in a language and their meanings. Syntax refers to the rules governing the structure of sentences, ethnosemantics is the study of how meaning is encoded and organized in different cultures, ethnoscience is the study of traditional knowledge and belief systems, and phonology is the study of the sound system of language.

Question 8

Regular shifting between "high" and "low" variants of a language is

Accepted Answer

Diglossia refers to the phenomenon of using two different variants of a language, one of which is typically considered more prestigious or formal (the high variant) and the other more informal (the low variant). This is common in many bilingual communities, where one language is used for more formal or official purposes and another for everyday communication.

Question 9

Linguists believe that

Accepted Answer

Linguists estimate that the world's linguistic diversity has been cut in half over the past 500 years due to the extinction of languages. This means that fewer languages are now spoken in the world compared to centuries ago. Therefore, option E is the correct answer as it reflects this concern about the decrease in the world's linguistic diversity.

Question 10

_________ refers to the arrangement and order of words in phrases and sentences.

Accepted Answer

Syntax refers to the arrangement and order of words in phrases and sentences. It deals with how words form phrases and sentences, and how these phrases and sentences are related to each other.

Question 11

In his study of New York department store employees, Labov found that

Accepted Answer

Labov's study found that /r/ was pronounced most frequently by workers in the upper-middle-class store (Saks), reflecting the prestige associated with rhotic pronunciation.

Question 12

Berlin and Kay's (1969/1992) cross-linguistic study of color terminology revealed that

Accepted Answer

The answer of Berlin and Kay's (1969/1992) cross-linguistic study of...

Question 13

Sociolinguists study

Accepted Answer

Sociolinguists study the way in which language is used in its social context. They are interested in how social factors such as gender, ethnicity, and social class influence language use and how language use, in turn, reflects and reinforces social structure and identity.

Answer: E
 Sociolinguists also study cross-cultural phonemic distinctions - the differences in sounds and phonemes across different languages and cultures. They are interested in how these distinctions influence language use and communication across cultural boundaries.

Therefore, the best choices are B and E.

Question 14

The word pair, _________, is a minimal pair in Standard American English.

Accepted Answer

Pit and bit are a minimal pair because they differ only in one phoneme - /p/ and /b/. The other options have more than one phoneme that separates them, such as /f/ and /g/ in fat and get, or different stress patterns like in goof and off.

Question 15

Linguistic displacement is the

Accepted Answer

Linguistic displacement refers to the ability to talk about things that are not present, allowing humans to discuss past, future, or hypothetical events.

Question 16

In a stratified society, people who do not speak the prestige dialect still tend to accept the prestige as standard or superior, which is

Accepted Answer

Symbolic domination refers to a situation where the dominant group in a society uses cultural symbols, such as language, to maintain and reinforce their power. In a stratified society, the prestige dialect is often associated with the dominant group, and people who speak other dialects tend to view the prestige dialect as superior. This acceptance of the prestige dialect as standard or superior is a result of symbolic domination. Therefore, option C is the best choice.

Question 17

Most professional linguists regard BEV as a(n)

Accepted Answer

Most professional linguists regard Black English Vernacular (BEV) as a distinctive dialect of English, with its own set of grammatical rules, vocabulary, and pronunciation patterns. This recognition acknowledges that BEV is a valid language variety, rather than an inferior or incorrect version of Standard English.

Question 18

In the __________ region of the United States, people do not speak with an accent.

Accepted Answer

Regional speech variations exist throughout the United States, meaning everyone has an accent relative to others.

Question 19

__________ refers to the minimal sound contrasts that distinguish meaning in a language.

Accepted Answer

Phonemes are the smallest units of sound in a language that can distinguish meaning. A change in phoneme can lead to a change in meaning of a word. Morphemes are meaningful units in a language, but they may consist of one or more phonemes. Syntax and grammar are related to the rules and structure of a language, while diglossia refers to a linguistic situation where two distinct varieties of a language coexist in a certain community or region.

Question 20

Deborah Tannen's research on the speech habits of men and women has revealed that

Accepted Answer

The answer of Deborah Tannen's research on the speech habits...

Quiz 10: Language and Communication