Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: The sounds [p] and [pʰ] (aspirated p) both appear in a language. [p] appears after /s/ and [pʰ] appears at the start of words. They never swap positions. What is their relationship?

They are separate phonemes
They are allophones of one phoneme (Correct answer)
They are in free variation
They are different languages' sounds

Correct answer: They are allophones of one phoneme

[p] and [pʰ] are in complementary distribution — each appears in a specific environment where the other does not. This means they are allophones (predictable variants) of a single phoneme /p/. English works exactly this way: 'spin' [sp] vs. 'pin' [pʰ].

Question 2: Given: 'ta komi vera sola' = 'he eats hot rice,' 'ta komi vera sola eku tima vera pili' = 'he eats hot rice and drinks hot water.' What is 'and'?

pili
vera
tima
eku (Correct answer)

Correct answer: eku

'Eku' appears between two clauses: 'he eats hot rice' + 'eku' + 'drinks hot water.' It's the conjunction connecting the two actions. 'Vera' = hot (appears in both clauses), 'tima' = drinks, 'pili' = water.

Question 3: Which sentence correctly uses the future perfect tense?

By Friday, she would finish the report.
By Friday, she will have finished the report. (Correct answer)
By Friday, she has finished the report.
By Friday, she will finish the report.

Correct answer: By Friday, she will have finished the report.

The future perfect tense ('will have + past participle') expresses an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future. 'Will have finished' correctly indicates the report's completion will precede Friday.

Question 4: In Norvik, the rule is: stress the syllable that contains the LONGEST vowel sound. 'Na-al-vu' has vowels: 'a' (short), 'aa' (long), 'u' (short). Where is the stress?

na-AL-vu (2nd syllable, long 'aa') (Correct answer)
na-al-VU (3rd syllable)
NA-al-vu (1st syllable)
Equal stress on all syllables

Correct answer: na-AL-vu (2nd syllable, long 'aa')

Longest vowel 'aa' is in the 2nd syllable: stress falls on 'al' → na-AL-vu.

Question 5: You are given these grammatical rules: 1. Nouns are either singular or plural. Plural nouns are formed by adding '-im' to the root. 2. Adjectives precede the noun. 3. If the noun is plural, the adjective must have the prefix 'ko-'. Given 'falk' (bird) and 'brin' (small), how would you write 'the small birds'?

ko-brin falk
ko-brin falkim (Correct answer)
brin falkim
falkim ko-brin

Correct answer: ko-brin falkim

To form 'the small birds', we must apply all three rules. Rule 1: The noun 'bird' (falk) must be plural, so it becomes 'falkim'. Rule 2: The adjective 'small' (brin) must come before the noun. Rule 3: Because the noun is plural, the adjective must take the prefix 'ko-', becoming 'ko-brin'. Combining these, the correct phrase is 'ko-brin falkim'.

Question 6: A language follows Object-Verb-Subject (OVS) order. 'Mari sees Tano' (sees=velu) is correctly written as:

Mari Tano velu
Mari velu Tano
Tano velu Mari (Correct answer)
velu Mari Tano

Correct answer: Tano velu Mari

OVS order requires the object (Tano) first, then the verb (velu), then the subject (Mari).

Question 7: Study: 'bo kela mira' = 'she reads quickly,' 'bo peta mira' = 'she writes quickly,' 'fo kela tura' = 'he reads slowly.' What does 'bo' mean?

quickly
reads
she (Correct answer)
slowly

Correct answer: she

Comparing sentences 1-2, 'bo' stays when the verb changes (reads → writes), so 'bo' isn't the verb. Comparing sentences 1 and 3, 'bo' changes to 'fo' when 'she' changes to 'he.' Therefore 'bo' = she and 'fo' = he.

Question 8: In Language X, the sentence 'The dog chases the cat' is written as 'Cat the chases dog the.' What is the word order pattern?

Object-Verb-Subject (Correct answer)
Object-Subject-Verb
Verb-Subject-Object
Subject-Verb-Object

Correct answer: Object-Verb-Subject

The original English sentence follows Subject-Verb-Object order (dog-chases-cat). In Language X, the translation reverses to Object-Verb-Subject (cat-chases-dog). This OVS pattern places the receiver of the action first.

Question 9: Identify the sentence with a correctly used semicolon.

The test was difficult; and she passed.
The test was difficult; however, she passed with a high score. (Correct answer)
The test was difficult; she studied hard for it though.
The test was difficult; because she hadn't prepared.

Correct answer: The test was difficult; however, she passed with a high score.

Semicolon + conjunctive adverb 'however' + comma is the correct pattern.

Question 10: Krelvan has two past tense markers: '-ost' for completed actions and '-ust' for ongoing past actions. 'I was running' (ongoing in past) uses which form of 'vel' (to run)?

Velut
Velost
Vel
Velust (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Velust

'I was running' is an ongoing past action, so '-ust' is appended: 'velust.'

Question 11: A fictional alphabet has 6 symbols for vowels and 14 symbols for consonants. A three-symbol word alternating vowel-consonant-vowel draws how many symbols from the vowel set?

Zero vowel symbols
Three vowel symbols
Two vowel symbols (Correct answer)
One vowel symbol

Correct answer: Two vowel symbols

The V-C-V pattern has vowels in positions 1 and 3, so exactly two vowel symbols are used.

Question 12: Given: 'anda' = 'go,' 'anda-ndo' = 'going' (progressive), 'kome' = 'eat,' 'kome-ndo' = 'eating.' What does '-ndo' create?

Infinitive
Past participle
Present participle/gerund (Correct answer)
Imperative

Correct answer: Present participle/gerund

'-ndo' converts verbs into their present participle or gerund form: go → going, eat → eating. This suffix marks ongoing action and is identical to the Spanish gerund ending '-ndo' (andando, comiendo).

Question 13: Study: 'ami gola piru' = 'I drink water,' 'ami gola-ta piru' = 'I drank water,' 'ami gola-ne piru' = 'I will drink water.' Tense is marked on the verb. What are the past and future markers?

Neither marks tense
-ta for present, -ne for past
-ta for future, -ne for past
-ta for past, -ne for future (Correct answer)

Correct answer: -ta for past, -ne for future

The base form 'gola' is present tense (I drink). Adding '-ta' marks past (I drank) and '-ne' marks future (I will drink). These are verbal suffixes that modify the time reference of the action while leaving the subject and object unchanged.

Question 14: In a language, 'tok lim par esh' means 'the woman quickly eats fruit.' If 'tok' is 'woman,' 'par' is 'eats,' and 'esh' is 'fruit,' what is the position of the adverb?

Between subject and verb (Correct answer)
Before the subject
After the object
Sentence-initial

Correct answer: Between subject and verb

'Lim' must mean 'quickly' since it's the only unassigned word. It sits between 'tok' (woman/subject) and 'par' (eats/verb), placing the adverb between the subject and verb. This is an S-Adv-V-O word order.

Question 15: In a language where adjectives must agree in number: 'tal bero' = 'big dog,' 'tal-in bero-in' = 'big dogs.' How would you say 'small cats' if 'small' is 'fey' and 'cat' is 'nura'?

fey nura-in
fey nura
fey-in nura
fey-in nura-in (Correct answer)

Correct answer: fey-in nura-in

The plural marker '-in' must appear on both the adjective and noun to maintain agreement. Just as 'tal-in bero-in' marks both words for plural, 'small cats' must be 'fey-in nura-in.' This adjective-noun number agreement is common in Romance languages.

Question 16: Which sentence is free of ambiguous pronoun reference?

Maria called Ana and she left immediately.
After Maria called Ana, Ana left immediately. (Correct answer)
After Maria called Ana, she left immediately.
She called Ana, and she left immediately.

Correct answer: After Maria called Ana, Ana left immediately.

Replacing the ambiguous 'she' with 'Ana' removes all ambiguity about who left.

Question 17: What does "sanblin" mean if "blinsan" implies "big car"?

Big train
Small car
Small train (Correct answer)
Big bus

Correct answer: Small train

This language uses a pattern where reversing the order of two root words changes both their meanings to related but different concepts. If 'blinsan' means 'big car', then reversing it to 'sanblin' changes 'big' to 'small' and 'car' to 'train'. Therefore, 'sanblin' means 'Small train'.

Question 18: In the fictional Zorathi language, verbs must agree with the subject in 'tier.' Tier 1 subjects use verb ending '-ak', Tier 2 use '-ok', Tier 3 use '-ek'. The sentence 'Melu [run]' has Melu as a Tier 2 subject. Which verb form is correct?

Meluak
Meluk
Meluok (Correct answer)
Meluek

Correct answer: Meluok

Since Melu is a Tier 2 subject, the verb must take the '-ok' ending, giving 'Meluok.'

Question 19: The language Trenvok uses a dual number marker '-du' for exactly two of something, alongside singular (no marker) and plural '-mos'. 'Nalu' = horse. How do you say 'two horses'?

Nalu
Naludu (Correct answer)
Nalumos
Dunal

Correct answer: Naludu

Exactly two uses '-du': 'nalu' + '-du' = 'naludu.'

Question 20: In the DLAB, a passage of text presents rules for an invented language. A recruit who cannot shift between multiple rules simultaneously is likely to struggle with which cognitive skill?

Long-term memory
Mathematical reasoning
Reading speed
Working memory and cognitive flexibility (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Working memory and cognitive flexibility

Holding and applying multiple rules simultaneously requires working memory and cognitive flexibility.

Question 21: Which option is an example of an attributive adjective?

The report seems classified.
Classifying the report took time.
The classified report was filed. (Correct answer)
The report was classified by the officer.

Correct answer: The classified report was filed.

An attributive adjective ('classified') appears directly before the noun it modifies ('report'), unlike a predicative adjective which follows a linking verb.

Question 22: In Language P: 'ka' = 3, 'kaka' = 6, 'kakaka' = 9, 'ki' = 2. What does 'kakaki' most likely equal?

11
8 (Correct answer)
5
7

Correct answer: 8

'kaka' = 6 and 'ki' = 2, so 'kakaki' = 6 + 2 = 8.

Question 23: Picture key: [circle] = 'one', [two circles] = 'two', [three circles] = 'three'. [Square] = noun. You see: [square][two circles]. What does this symbol string mean?

One noun
Two nouns (Correct answer)
Three nouns
A verb and a number

Correct answer: Two nouns

Square=noun, two circles=two → 'two nouns.'

Question 24: Which sentence contains a split infinitive?

She appeared to have completed the task.
She decided to boldly attempt the challenge. (Correct answer)
To complete the task, she worked overnight.
She failed to complete the task on time.

Correct answer: She decided to boldly attempt the challenge.

A split infinitive places an adverb ('boldly') between 'to' and the base verb ('attempt'), splitting the infinitive form.

Question 25: A language has the following syllable pattern: every syllable must be Consonant-Vowel (CV). Which of these words could exist in this language?

elf
grim
banu (Correct answer)
strak

Correct answer: banu

'Banu' consists of two CV syllables: ba-nu. 'Strak' has consonant clusters (str-), 'grim' ends in a consonant (CVC), and 'elf' starts with a vowel (VC). Only 'banu' strictly follows the CV syllable template. Japanese is a well-known CV-dominant language.

Question 26: Identify the sentence with correct subject-verb agreement.

Neither the students nor the teacher are prepared.
Neither the students nor the teacher were prepared.
Neither the students nor the teacher was prepared. (Correct answer)
Neither the students nor the teacher have prepared.

Correct answer: Neither the students nor the teacher was prepared.

With 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the closest subject — 'teacher' is singular, so 'was.'

Question 27: A visual shows symbol associations: [arrow pointing right] = future tense marker, [arrow pointing left] = past tense marker, [dot] = present tense marker. You see a sentence with a [dot] before it. What tense is the sentence in?

Present (Correct answer)
Past
Conditional
Future

Correct answer: Present

A dot = present tense marker, per the established visual key.

Question 28: In a made-up language, negation and tense are marked on the verb. The prefix 'ne-' means 'not' and the suffix '-bit' indicates future tense. The word order is Subject-Verb. Given that 'is' means 'he' and 'lok' is the verb root for 'speak', what is the correct way to say 'He will not speak'?

is ne-lok-bit (Correct answer)
is ne-lok
ne-is lok-bit
is lok-bit ne

Correct answer: is ne-lok-bit

Both the negation prefix 'ne-' and the future tense suffix '-bit' must be attached to the verb root 'lok'. This forms the complete verb 'ne-lok-bit' (will not speak). Since the word order is Subject-Verb, the subject 'is' (he) comes first, resulting in the correct sentence 'is ne-lok-bit'.

Question 29: Given: 'bo taka ni' = 'he walks slowly' and 'bo taka ri' = 'he walks fast.' Negation in this language adds 'za' before the verb. How do you say 'he does not walk slowly'?

bo taka za ni
bo za taka ni (Correct answer)
bo taka ni za
za bo taka ni

Correct answer: bo za taka ni

The rule states negation is marked by 'za' before the verb. Since 'taka' is the verb (walks), 'za' goes directly before it: 'bo za taka ni.' The subject stays first and the adverb stays last.

Question 30: In Language M, relative clauses come before the noun they modify. How would 'the book that is red' be structured?

The that is red book
Book the red that is
Red is that book the
That is red the book (Correct answer)

Correct answer: That is red the book

If relative clauses precede their head noun, 'that is red' must come before 'the book.' This prenominal relative clause pattern is found in Japanese, Korean, and Turkish, where modifying clauses always precede the noun.

Question 31: In a constructed language: 'one-unit' = 1, 'two-units' = 2, 'one-unit two-units' = 3. What does 'two-units two-units' most likely equal?

2
5
3
4 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 4

'two-units two-units' adds 2 + 2 = 4, following the same additive pattern.

Question 32: In fictional language X, the word order rule is Verb-Subject-Object (VSO). Given: dog=koru, bites=fela, man=tanu, how do you say 'The dog bites the man'?

koru tanu fela
fela koru tanu (Correct answer)
tanu koru fela
koru fela tanu

Correct answer: fela koru tanu

VSO order places the verb first (fela), then the subject (koru), then the object (tanu).

Question 33: Which type of clause is underlined: 'The report that she submitted was classified'?

Independent clause
Nominal clause
Relative (adjective) clause (Correct answer)
Adverbial clause

Correct answer: Relative (adjective) clause

'That she submitted' is a relative clause modifying the noun 'report.'

Question 34: A visual grammar uses boxes with colors: [yellow box] = noun phrase, [blue box] = verb phrase. Inside a yellow box you see: [black dot] = definite, [white dot] = indefinite. A box shows: [yellow][black dot][running person image]. What does this represent?

The verb 'to run'
An indefinite verb phrase
A runner (indefinite noun phrase)
The runner (definite noun phrase referring to a specific running person) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The runner (definite noun phrase referring to a specific running person)

Yellow=noun phrase, black dot=definite, running person=the noun → 'the runner' (definite NP).

Question 35: In Pheltori, plural nouns are formed by doubling the first syllable. 'Mako' (one tree) becomes 'mamako' (trees). Following this rule, what is the plural of 'telu' (one bird)?

Telus
Tetelu (Correct answer)
Tetu
Telutelu

Correct answer: Tetelu

Double the first syllable 'te-' of 'telu' to get 'tetelu.'

Question 36: What is the term for the smallest unit of sound in a language that can change the meaning of a word?

Phoneme (Correct answer)
Grapheme
Allophone
Morpheme

Correct answer: Phoneme

A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that distinguishes meaning between words.

Question 37: In Welvari, the tense of a verb is marked by a clitic that attaches to the FIRST word of the sentence (not the verb). Past tense clitic is '=tos'. Given 'Doru vel prenu.' (The man eats fire.), how do you put it in the past tense?

Doru vel=tos prenu.
Tos doru vel prenu.
Doru=tos vel prenu. (Correct answer)
Doru vel prenu=tos.

Correct answer: Doru=tos vel prenu.

'=tos' attaches to the first word 'doru': 'Doru=tos vel prenu.'

Question 38: In a fictional language: 'al' = 3, 'be' = 6, 'al-be' = 9. What does 'be-be' most likely equal?

9
15
6
12 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 12

'be-be' combines two values of 6 for a total of 12.

Question 39: The grammar of an artificial language has the following rules: 1. Nouns are classified as either 'round' (ending in '-o') or 'flat' (ending in '-i'). 2. Adjectives must agree with the noun's classification by taking the same final vowel. 3. The word order is strictly Noun followed by any Adjectives. Given the words: 'diski' (plate, a flat object), 'blu' (blue), and 'larj' (large), which is the correct phrase for 'the large blue plate'?

diski larjo bluo
blui diski larji
diski larji blui (Correct answer)
larji blui diski

Correct answer: diski larji blui

The noun 'plate' is 'diski', which ends in '-i' and is therefore a 'flat' object. According to the agreement rule, both adjectives ('large' and 'blue') must also end in '-i', becoming 'larji' and 'blui'. The word order rule states the noun comes first, followed by the adjectives. Thus, the correct phrase is 'diski larji blui'.

Question 40: Given these grammatical rules: 1. An object is made definite by adding the prefix 'vo-'. 2. Word order is Verb-Subject-Object. 3. The word for 'girl' is 'sori', 'boy' is 'pako', and 'likes' is 'nima'. Which of the following translates to 'The boy likes the girl'?

Nima sori vo-pako.
Nima pako vo-sori. (Correct answer)
Vo-pako nima sori.
Pako nima vo-sori.

Correct answer: Nima pako vo-sori.

The verb is 'likes' (nima). The subject is 'the boy' (pako). The object is 'the girl' (sori). Because 'the girl' is a definite object, the prefix 'vo-' is added, making it 'vo-sori' (Rule 1). Following the Verb-Subject-Object word order (Rule 2), the final sentence is 'Nima pako vo-sori'.

Question 41: Observe: 'ela pato sur' = 'she buys fish,' 'ela pato-ma sur' = 'she will buy fish,' 'ela pato-ze sur' = 'she bought fish.' Where is tense marked?

On the subject
On the object
On the verb with a suffix (Correct answer)
At the end of the sentence

Correct answer: On the verb with a suffix

Tense changes appear as suffixes on the verb 'pato': no suffix for present, '-ma' for future, '-ze' for past. The subject 'ela' and object 'sur' remain constant. This is an agglutinative tense-marking system.

Question 42: In a constructed language, 'mari telo ven' means 'the child sleeps quietly.' If 'ven' means 'quietly' and 'telo' means 'sleeps,' where does the adverb appear relative to the verb?

Between the subject and verb
After the verb (Correct answer)
Before the verb
At the beginning of the sentence

Correct answer: After the verb

Since 'telo' (sleeps) comes before 'ven' (quietly), the adverb follows the verb. This is a post-verbal adverb placement pattern, similar to English but unlike languages such as Japanese where adverbs typically precede verbs.

Question 43: Which section type does the DLAB NOT include?

A vocabulary memorization test of actual foreign language words (Correct answer)
Identifying stress and intonation patterns in made-up words
Sound discrimination exercises using nonsense words
Applying invented grammatical rules to fictional language sentences

Correct answer: A vocabulary memorization test of actual foreign language words

The DLAB does NOT test real foreign language vocabulary — it uses entirely invented content.

Question 44: The DLAB (Defense Language Aptitude Battery) is administered by the US military primarily to assess which capability?

A recruit's ability to translate military documents
A recruit's knowledge of world geography
A recruit's current foreign language proficiency
A recruit's potential to learn a foreign language (Correct answer)

Correct answer: A recruit's potential to learn a foreign language

The DLAB measures language-learning aptitude — potential, not current ability.

Question 45: Study: 'rola maka beni' = 'the man sees the woman,' 'rola beni maka' = 'the woman sees the man.' The same words, different order. What determines subject and object?

Word order — the word before the verb is the subject (Correct answer)
Case markers determine it
The last noun is always the subject
The first noun is always the subject

Correct answer: Word order — the word before the verb is the subject

In both sentences, the noun immediately before 'beni' (the verb 'sees') is the subject: 'maka' (man) in sentence 1, 'beni' (woman)... Actually, comparing: sentence 1 has 'maka' before the verb, sentence 2 has 'beni' before 'maka.' The word before the verb acts as subject.

Question 46: What is "non-glix" if "glix" is the Muxian word for "blue"?

Dark blue
Light blue
Green
Not blue (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Not blue

The word "glix" means "blue." The prefix "non-" in English typically denotes negation or the absence of something. Therefore, applying this logic, "non-glix" would logically translate to "not blue."

Question 47: A language uses red symbols for verbs and blue symbols for nouns. A sentence with the pattern blue-red-blue contains:

Two nouns and one verb (Correct answer)
Three verbs
Three nouns
Two verbs and one noun

Correct answer: Two nouns and one verb

Blue = noun and red = verb, so two blue symbols and one red symbol yield two nouns and one verb.

Question 48: What does the linguistic term 'syntax' refer to?

The study of word meanings
The rules governing how words are combined to form sentences (Correct answer)
The sound system of a language
The writing system of a language

Correct answer: The rules governing how words are combined to form sentences

Syntax is the branch of linguistics dealing with sentence structure and word order rules.

Question 49: In a verb-initial language: 'Ran quickly fox the brown.' What is the standard word order of this language?

SOV (Subject-Object-Verb)
SVO (Subject-Verb-Object)
VSO (Verb-Subject-Object) (Correct answer)
VOS (Verb-Object-Subject)

Correct answer: VSO (Verb-Subject-Object)

The verb 'ran' comes first, followed by the adverb 'quickly,' then the subject 'fox the brown.' This is a VSO pattern where the verb precedes both the subject and any objects. Languages like Welsh and Classical Arabic use this order.

Question 50: In Snarvic, compound words are built as: [modifier root] + [connector '-o-'] + [head root]. 'Vel' (fast), 'Nalu' (horse). 'Fast-horse' (a type of horse known for speed) = ?

Nalvel
Vel-nalu
Nalu-o-vel
Vel-o-nalu (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Vel-o-nalu

Modifier + '-o-' + head: 'vel' (modifier) + '-o-' + 'nalu' (head) = 'Vel-o-nalu.'

Question 51: What is a 'minimal pair' in linguistics?

A pair of synonyms with slightly different connotations
Two words with the same meaning but different spellings
Two words that differ in only one phoneme and have different meanings (Correct answer)
Two words with the same spelling but different pronunciations

Correct answer: Two words that differ in only one phoneme and have different meanings

Minimal pairs differ in exactly one phoneme: 'bat' vs 'cat' (b/c), 'ship' vs 'sheep' (short i/long e).

Question 52: The DLAB includes a section where test-takers listen to spoken passages in invented languages. What cognitive ability does this primarily assess?

Auditory discrimination and phonological processing (Correct answer)
Mathematical pattern recognition
Spatial reasoning
Reading comprehension

Correct answer: Auditory discrimination and phonological processing

The audio section tests ability to distinguish sounds, identify stress, and process phonological patterns.

Question 53: Consider these rules: 1. Adjectives end with the same vowel as the noun they modify. 2. The word for 'car' is 'lota'. The word for 'fast' is 'siv'. 3. The word for 'tree' is 'piko'. The word for 'tall' is 'ner'. Based on the pattern, how would you say 'the tall car'?

Lota siva
Piko sivo
Lota nera (Correct answer)
Piko nero

Correct answer: Lota nera

The noun 'car' is 'lota', which ends in 'a'. The adjective 'tall' is based on the root 'ner'. To modify 'lota', the adjective must end in 'a' (Rule 1). Therefore, 'ner' becomes 'nera'. The phrase is 'lota nera'.

Question 54: You are given two examples of spatial relationships. A dot inside a circle is called 'punto vlim circ'. A dot outside a circle is called 'punto flum circ'. Given that 'kasa' means 'box', which phrase would represent 'a box outside a circle'?

kasa vlim circ
punto flum kasa
kasa flum circ (Correct answer)
circ vlim kasa

Correct answer: kasa flum circ

In the examples, 'punto' is the dot and 'circ' is the circle. The words 'vlim' (inside) and 'flum' (outside) describe the relationship. To say 'a box outside a circle', you replace the word for dot ('punto') with the word for box ('kasa') and use the word for outside ('flum'), maintaining the structure. This gives you 'kasa flum circ'.

Question 55: Study these Prelvak sentences: 'Doru vel.' (Man runs.) 'Fenu vel.' (Woman runs.) 'Doru talo.' (Man sings.) 'Fenu talo.' (Woman sings.) 'Doru mak.' (Man sleeps.) Which means 'The woman sleeps'?

Fenu vel.
Doru mak.
Fenu mak. (Correct answer)
Mak fenu.

Correct answer: Fenu mak.

'Fenu' = woman, 'mak' = sleeps; pattern confirms subject-verb order.

Question 56: In a fictional script, writing a symbol backwards gives the opposite meaning. If '→' means 'forward,' then '←' means:

Sideways
Stop
Forward
Backward (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Backward

By the reversal rule, the backwards form of a symbol carries the opposite meaning, so '←' means 'backward.'

Question 57: In Russian, adjectives agree with nouns in gender, number, and case: 'krasiv-aya devushk-a' (beautiful-FEM.SG.NOM girl-FEM.SG.NOM). English adjectives don't change form at all: 'beautiful girl.' What does Russian's system provide?

Faster speech
Better vocabulary
No benefit — it's redundant
Redundancy that aids comprehension, especially in complex sentences with free word order (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Redundancy that aids comprehension, especially in complex sentences with free word order

Agreement morphology creates redundancy — the same information (gender, number, case) appears on multiple words. While seemingly redundant, this helps listeners correctly parse sentences, especially with Russian's free word order. If you miss one marker, others still signal the relationship.

Question 58: Language Q uses postpositions instead of prepositions. If 'on the table' in English becomes 'table the on' in Language Q, how would 'under the bridge' be expressed?

bridge under the
the under bridge
under bridge the
bridge the under (Correct answer)

Correct answer: bridge the under

In a postpositional language, the spatial relationship word (on, under, in) comes after the noun phrase rather than before it. Following the pattern 'table the on,' 'under the bridge' becomes 'bridge the under.'

Question 59: In a fictional language, all words ending in the symbol '★' are nouns. The word 'breltu★' is therefore a:

Verb
Adverb
Adjective
Noun (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Noun

The rule states any word ending in '★' is a noun, so 'breltu★' must be classified as a noun.

Question 60: Heard in Trelvan: [ma-KO] = 'a dog', [MA-ko] = 'the dog'. Stress shift changes definiteness. You hear [bre-NU]. What does this mean, given [BRE-nu] = 'a fish'?

Many fish
A fish
The fish (Correct answer)
Fish (general)

Correct answer: The fish

Second-syllable stress = definite ('the'); [bre-NU] → 'the fish'.

Question 61: In a fictional language, word order is Verb-Subject-Object. Negation is expressed by the particle 'ne' which must be placed directly after the verb. Given that 'vid' means 'sees', 'puer' means 'the boy', and 'canis' means 'the dog', what is the correct way to say 'The boy does not see the dog'?

Vid puer ne canis.
Puer ne vid canis.
Ne vid puer canis.
Vid ne puer canis. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Vid ne puer canis.

The required word order is Verb-Subject-Object. The verb is 'vid' (sees), the subject is 'puer' (the boy), and the object is 'canis' (the dog). The negation particle 'ne' is placed immediately after the verb. Therefore, the sentence structure is Verb ('Vid') + Negation ('ne') + Subject ('puer') + Object ('canis'), forming 'Vid ne puer canis'.

Question 62: In the sentence 'She asked whether the test had been scored,' what is the grammatical role of 'whether the test had been scored'?

Nominal (noun) clause acting as the object of 'asked' (Correct answer)
Participial phrase modifying 'test'
Adverbial clause of condition
Relative clause modifying 'she'

Correct answer: Nominal (noun) clause acting as the object of 'asked'

'Whether the test had been scored' is a noun clause functioning as the direct object of the verb 'asked.'

Question 63: In Vorntish, adjectives come after the noun and take a gender marker. Masculine nouns get '-im', feminine get '-af'. 'Brak' (masculine) means 'stone' and 'selu' means 'hard.' How do you say 'hard stone'?

Brak seluim (Correct answer)
Seluim brak
Brak seluaf
Seluaf brak

Correct answer: Brak seluim

Adjective follows noun, and takes '-im' for masculine 'brak', giving 'Brak seluim.'

Question 64: The invented language Drelvic uses a negation prefix 'un-' placed before the main verb. Nouns and adjectives are never negated. In the sentence 'Tavi greno spak' (The child quickly runs), how would you say 'The child does not quickly run'?

Tavi greno spakun
Untavi greno spak
Tavi greno unspak (Correct answer)
Tavi ungreno spak

Correct answer: Tavi greno unspak

Negation prefix 'un-' attaches to the verb 'spak', not the noun or adverb.

Question 65: In a fictional counting system: 'ab' = 2, 'cd' = 4, 'ef' = 6. What does 'ab-cd-ef' most likely equal?

13
11
12 (Correct answer)
10

Correct answer: 12

Each component contributes its value additively: 2 + 4 + 6 = 12.

Question 66: Language R places the most important information last in a sentence. For 'Yesterday John ran quickly,' which element appears last?

quickly (Correct answer)
Yesterday
John
ran

Correct answer: quickly

The manner adverb 'quickly' is the focal/most important information and therefore appears at the end.

Question 67: In Language S: 'fiv' = 5, 'twen' = 20, 'fiv-twen' = 25. What does 'twen-twen' most likely equal?

30
40 (Correct answer)
25
45

Correct answer: 40

'twen-twen' combines two values of 20 for a total of 40.

Question 68: Molvex uses object-verb-subject (OVS) word order, opposite to English SVO. Given that 'Palu' = cat, 'Seno' = fish, 'Tal' = eats, how do you say 'The cat eats the fish' in Molvex?

Palu tal seno.
Palu seno tal.
Seno tal palu. (Correct answer)
Tal palu seno.

Correct answer: Seno tal palu.

OVS order: Object (fish=seno) + Verb (tal) + Subject (cat=palu) = 'Seno tal palu.'

Question 69: A grammar diagram uses brackets: {A} means optional, [A] means required. A rule reads: [Subject] {Adjective} [Verb] {Adverb}. Which sentence CANNOT be generated by this rule?

He walks.
The tall man walks.
He walks slowly.
Walks slowly. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Walks slowly.

'Walks slowly' has no subject — but [Subject] is required, so this sentence is invalid.

Question 70: In a language, the vowel /i/ causes the preceding consonant /s/ to become /ʃ/ (like 'sh'): 'sima' → [ʃima]. What phonological process is this?

Palatalization (consonant moves toward palatal position due to /i/) (Correct answer)
Labialization
Vowel lowering
Glottalization

Correct answer: Palatalization (consonant moves toward palatal position due to /i/)

The high front vowel /i/ causes /s/ (alveolar) to shift to /ʃ/ (palato-alveolar), moving the consonant's place of articulation toward the palate. This is palatalization — one of the most common historical and synchronic sound changes in world languages.

Question 71: Study: 'dala mir oku' = 'birds fly south,' 'mir oku dala' = 'fly south birds' (same meaning). What does this tell you about Language T?

The verb must be first
It has strict word order
Subjects always come last
It uses word order for emphasis, not grammar (Correct answer)

Correct answer: It uses word order for emphasis, not grammar

Both sentences have the same meaning despite different word orders, indicating Language T has relatively free word order. The rearrangement likely changes emphasis or topic rather than grammatical meaning. This is typical of highly inflected languages.

Question 72: A language's rules state that an object receiving an action is marked with the suffix '-em'. The intensity of an action is shown by duplicating the verb. The word for 'the child' is 'pello', 'the ball' is 'sphaera', and 'to hit' is 'puls'. How would you say 'The child hits the ball hard'?

Pelloem puls-puls sphaera.
Pello sphaeraem puls-puls.
Pello puls-puls sphaeraem. (Correct answer)
Pello puls sphaeraem-sphaeraem.

Correct answer: Pello puls-puls sphaeraem.

The object receiving the action is 'the ball' (sphaera), so it must be marked with the suffix '-em', becoming 'sphaeraem'. To show intensity ('hits hard'), the verb 'puls' is duplicated to become 'puls-puls'. The standard word order is Subject-Verb-Object. Thus, the correct sentence is 'Pello puls-puls sphaeraem'.

Question 73: Which sentence contains a dangling modifier?

Running to catch the bus, her bag fell off her shoulder. (Correct answer)
She ran to catch the bus and dropped her bag.
Her bag fell as she ran to catch the bus.
Running to catch the bus, she dropped her bag.

Correct answer: Running to catch the bus, her bag fell off her shoulder.

The participial phrase 'Running to catch the bus' has no logical subject — the bag cannot run.

Question 74: In a test language, doubled symbols double the sound's duration. If '⬛' = /m/, then '⬛⬛' represents:

/mp/ (a consonant cluster)
/mm/ (a long m sound) (Correct answer)
/mb/ (a voiced cluster)
/n/ (a different nasal)

Correct answer: /mm/ (a long m sound)

Doubling a symbol only affects duration, not the sound quality, so '⬛⬛' is simply a lengthened /mm/.

Question 75: Observe the pattern: 'Nalu vel.' = 'The horse moves.' 'Nalu-s vel.' = 'The horses move.' 'Doru mak.' = 'The man sleeps.' What does 'Doru-s mak.' mean?

The man sleeps.
The men sleep. (Correct answer)
The men move.
The horses sleep.

Correct answer: The men sleep.

'-s' suffix marks plural on noun: 'doru-s' = men, 'mak' = sleeps → 'The men sleep.'

Question 76: A newly discovered language follows a strict Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order. To make a verb past tense, the prefix 'ka-' is added. The word for 'I' is 'jek', the word for 'the food' is 'nom', and the root word for 'eat' is 'sal'. How would you say 'I ate the food'?

Nom jek kasal.
Jek nom kasal. (Correct answer)
Jek nom sal.
Jek kasal nom.

Correct answer: Jek nom kasal.

The required word order is Subject-Object-Verb. The subject is 'jek' (I), the object is 'nom' (the food), and the verb is 'eat' (sal). The action is in the past tense ('ate'), so the prefix 'ka-' is added to the verb 'sal', making it 'kasal'. Following the SOV structure, the correct sentence is 'Jek nom kasal'.

Question 77: In Language Z, questions are formed by moving the verb to the beginning. If 'nara kito pem' means 'she reads books,' how would you say 'Does she read books?'

nara pem kito
kito nara pem (Correct answer)
pem nara kito
kito pem nara

Correct answer: kito nara pem

If 'nara' is 'she,' 'kito' is 'reads,' and 'pem' is 'books,' moving the verb to the beginning produces 'kito nara pem.' This verb-fronting question formation is found in languages like Irish and Classical Arabic.

Question 78: What does "negagund" signify in the Iksorian language if "grund" denotes "speak"?

Speaking
Speak not (Correct answer)
Speak again
Speak loudly

Correct answer: Speak not

The Iksorian word 'grund' denotes 'speak'. The term 'negagund' signifies 'Speak not', indicating that 'nega-' is a prefix used to negate the verb. Therefore, 'nega-' combined with 'grund' means 'Speak not'.

Question 79: You hear a series of statements in a made-up language where word order determines the meaning. 'plim tok glee' means 'the man eats the apple'. 'glee tok plim' means 'the apple eats the man'. 'zup tok nar' means 'the dog eats the bone'. Which of the following is the most likely rule for this language's sentence structure?

Subject-Object-Verb
Subject-Verb-Object (Correct answer)
Verb-Subject-Object
Object-Verb-Subject

Correct answer: Subject-Verb-Object

By comparing 'plim tok glee' (the man eats the apple) and 'glee tok plim' (the apple eats the man), we can see that 'tok' is the verb 'eats'. The word before the verb is the subject (the one performing the action), and the word after the verb is the object. This is a Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) structure, the same as in English. 'zup tok nar' (the dog eats the bone) confirms this pattern.

Question 80: In Strelvik, cardinal numbers (one, two, three) behave like adjectives and must agree with nouns. Noun suffix for agreement: M singular '-el', M plural '-elon'. 'Doru' (M) = man. 'Ven' = two. How do you say 'two men' with agreement?

Doru-el venel
Venelon doru-elon
Doru venelon
Doru-elon venelon (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Doru-elon venelon

Plural M: noun 'doru' + '-elon' = 'doru-elon'; numeral 'ven' + '-elon' = 'venelon'. Both agree.

Question 81: In the context of the DLAB, 'stress' refers to which linguistic concept?

The tone of a sentence (rising or falling)
The anxiety a test-taker feels during the exam
Emphasis placed on a particular syllable in a word (Correct answer)
The grammatical role of a word in a sentence

Correct answer: Emphasis placed on a particular syllable in a word

Linguistic stress = the relative loudness/prominence given to a syllable in a word.

Question 82: Invented language Dorvik assigns every noun a 'heat class': hot (suffix '-ral'), cold (suffix '-sol'), neutral (suffix '-mel'). The word 'Prenu' (fire) is in the hot class. What form does 'prenu' take as a standalone noun?

Prenueral (Correct answer)
Prenuemel
Prenu
Prenuasol

Correct answer: Prenueral

Hot class nouns add '-ral': 'prenu' + '-ral' = 'prenural.'

Question 83: Study this pattern: 'A bira C' means 'A sees C' and 'C bira A' means 'C sees A.' The word 'bira' never changes position. What can you conclude?

The verb always comes in the middle position
The language has free word order
Word order determines meaning with a fixed verb position (Correct answer)
The subject is always the last word

Correct answer: Word order determines meaning with a fixed verb position

The verb 'bira' consistently occupies the middle position while the meaning changes based on which noun comes first (subject) and which comes last (object). This demonstrates that word order, not inflection, determines grammatical roles.

Question 84: In a test language, yes/no questions are formed by moving the verb to the front of the sentence. 'The bird flies' = 'telu zoru.' 'Does the bird fly?' becomes:

zoru?
zoru telu? (Correct answer)
telu zoru?
telu?

Correct answer: zoru telu?

Moving the verb (zoru) to front-position while keeping the subject (telu) after it gives 'zoru telu?'

Question 85: In invented Telvari, words with an odd number of syllables stress the middle syllable; words with an even number stress the last syllable. 'Vel-a-kor' has 3 syllables. Where is the stress?

vel-A-KOR (last two)
vel-A-kor (middle syllable) (Correct answer)
vel-a-KOR (last syllable)
VEL-a-kor (first syllable)

Correct answer: vel-A-kor (middle syllable)

3 syllables = odd → stress middle (syllable 2): vel-A-kor.

Question 86: A diagram shows a color code: blue words are roots, red words are prefixes, green words are suffixes. You see: [red: un] [blue: vel] [green: ed]. What word does this represent?

Edvelun
Velunted
Unveled (Correct answer)
Velun

Correct answer: Unveled

Prefix(un)+Root(vel)+Suffix(ed) = 'unveled' — the prefix comes first, then root, then suffix.

Question 87: Invented Snarvic: all adjectives are invariable (never change form) regardless of noun gender or number. 'Mako' (F, tree), 'makos' (F plural, trees), 'doru' (M, man). Adjective 'vel' = tall. 'Tall trees' = ?

Makos velon
Makos vels
Vel makos
Makos vel (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Makos vel

Invariable adjectives never change: 'vel' stays 'vel' regardless of number or gender.

Question 88: From Trevish data: 'Prenu nak-om.' = 'Fires fly.' 'Prenu nak.' = 'Fire flies.' 'Mako nak.' = 'Tree flies.' What does 'Mako nak-om.' mean?

Tree flies.
Trees fly. (Correct answer)
Trees sleep.
Fires fly.

Correct answer: Trees fly.

'-om' marks plural action; 'mako' = tree → 'Trees fly.'

Question 89: The Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center (DLIFLC) where many military linguists train is located in which US state?

Texas
California (Correct answer)
Georgia
Virginia

Correct answer: California

DLIFLC is located in Monterey, California.

Question 90: Which sentence correctly uses a restrictive relative clause without commas?

The officer who passed the DLAB was assigned to language school. (Correct answer)
The officer, who passed the DLAB, was assigned to language school.
The officer, that passed the DLAB, was assigned to language school.
The officer which passed the DLAB was assigned to language school.

Correct answer: The officer who passed the DLAB was assigned to language school.

A restrictive relative clause identifies which officer and requires no commas; 'who' is correct for people.

Question 91: In this language: 'mak-' root means 'big.' 'makas' = 'big (masculine),' 'makos' = 'big (feminine),' 'makis' = 'big (neuter).' What morphological process marks gender?

Vowel change in the suffix (apophony) (Correct answer)
Prefixation
Tone change
Consonant mutation

Correct answer: Vowel change in the suffix (apophony)

Gender is marked by changing the vowel in the suffix: '-as' (masculine), '-os' (feminine), '-is' (neuter). This vowel alternation (apophony) in suffixes to indicate grammatical gender is similar to systems found in some Indo-European languages.

Question 92: In the sentence 'She rarely speaks during meetings,' what grammatical role does 'rarely' play?

Preposition linking clauses
Adjective modifying 'she'
Adverb modifying 'speaks' (Correct answer)
Conjunction joining phrases

Correct answer: Adverb modifying 'speaks'

'Rarely' is an adverb that modifies the verb 'speaks,' describing how often the action occurs.

Question 93: Which pair demonstrates the English stress shift between a 2-syllable noun and its corresponding verb?

per-MIT (noun) vs PER-mit (verb)
PER-mit (noun) vs per-MIT (verb) (Correct answer)
PER-mit (noun) vs PER-mit (verb)
per-MIT (noun) vs per-MIT (verb)

Correct answer: PER-mit (noun) vs per-MIT (verb)

In English, 2-syllable noun/verb pairs: nouns stress first syllable, verbs stress second.

Question 94: Given: 'mir tuka' = 'two birds,' 'mir geba' = 'two fish,' 'sol tuka' = 'three birds,' 'pen geba' = 'five fish.' Numbers come first. What is 'three fish'?

geba sol
tuka pen
mir sol
sol geba (Correct answer)

Correct answer: sol geba

The pattern is number + noun: 'mir' (two) + 'tuka' (birds), 'sol' (three) + 'tuka' (birds). For 'three fish': 'sol' (three) + 'geba' (fish) = 'sol geba,' following the number-first word order.

Question 95: Given: 'na pu ki' = 'I see him,' 'na pu ki lo' = 'I see him today,' 'ji na pu ki lo' = 'Did I see him today?' What marks a question?

Adding 'ji' at the beginning (Correct answer)
Moving the verb to the front
Changing the word order entirely
Adding 'lo' at the end

Correct answer: Adding 'ji' at the beginning

Comparing the declarative 'na pu ki lo' with the interrogative 'ji na pu ki lo,' the only addition is 'ji' at the beginning. This is a question particle that converts statements to yes/no questions, similar to Mandarin Chinese 'ma' (though placed initially rather than finally).

Question 96: What is the linguistic term for a word's sound that naturally suggests its meaning, such as 'buzz', 'hiss', or 'splash'?

Phonesthesia
Synesthesia
Metonymy
Onomatopoeia (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia: words whose pronunciation imitates the sound they describe.

Question 97: The made-up language Ozwik requires that time words always appear at the beginning of the sentence, before the subject. Given: 'Fenu talo vrik.' (The woman sings.) and 'Noval' means 'yesterday', how do you say 'Yesterday the woman sang'?

Fenu talo noval vrik.
Fenu talo vrik noval.
Fenu noval talo vrik.
Noval fenu talo vrik. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Noval fenu talo vrik.

Time words precede the subject, so 'noval' (yesterday) goes first: 'Noval fenu talo vrik.'

Question 98: In a fictional counting system: 'lo' = 5, 'hi' = 50. 'Lo-hi' = 55. What does 'lo-lo-hi' most likely equal?

65
70
55
60 (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 60

lo(5) + lo(5) + hi(50) = 60 using the additive combination rule.

Question 99: Given: 'pela osta rana' = 'the cat sits here' and 'pela osta finu' = 'the cat sits there.' What element changes to indicate location?

The verb form
The final word (Correct answer)
The word order
The subject marker

Correct answer: The final word

The only difference between the two sentences is the final word: 'rana' (here) vs 'finu' (there). This shows that location is indicated by a sentence-final locative word, while the subject and verb remain unchanged.

Question 100: In Veltari, a sentence is built from these units: [time prefix] + [subject] + [neg marker 'un-'] + [verb]. To negate 'He runs now': time='drek'(now), subject='brak'(he), verb='vel'(runs). What is the correct order?

Drek brak un-vel. (Correct answer)
Drek un-brak vel.
Un-vel brak drek.
Brak drek un-vel.

Correct answer: Drek brak un-vel.

Time prefix + subject + negated verb: 'Drek brak un-vel.'

Question 101: What does “plamur” imply if “murpla” means “high mountain”?

Low mountain
Low hill
High river
High hill (Correct answer)

Correct answer: High hill

Following the pattern of word reversal and semantic shift, if 'murpla' means 'high mountain', then 'mur' corresponds to 'high' and 'pla' to 'mountain'. When reversed to 'plamur', the meaning of the second element ('mountain') changes to a related, smaller concept ('hill'), while the first element ('high') remains the same. Therefore, 'plamur' translates to 'high hill'.

Question 102: Bruntic uses a system where proper nouns (names) do not trigger adjective agreement, but common nouns do. Adjective agreement suffix is '-el'. Common noun 'nalu' (horse) + 'vel' (fast). Proper noun 'Kenu' (a name) + 'vel' (fast). Which is correct?

Nalu velel; Kenu vel (Correct answer)
Nalu vel; Kenu vel
Nalu vel; Kenu velel
Nalu velel; Kenu velel

Correct answer: Nalu velel; Kenu vel

Common noun triggers agreement ('-el'): 'nalu velel'. Proper noun does not: 'Kenu vel'.

Question 103: In the language Helvari, a noun is pluralized by adding '-es' if it ends in a vowel and '-is' if it ends in a consonant. 'Mako' (tree) → 'Makoes'. What is the plural of 'Brenk' (cloud)?

Brenks
Brenkos
Brenkis (Correct answer)
Brenkes

Correct answer: Brenkis

'Brenk' ends in consonant 'k', so plural is formed with '-is': 'Brenkis.'

Question 104: In this language: 'tari' = 'water,' 'tari-mu' = 'watery/of water,' 'beni' = 'stone,' 'beni-mu' = 'stony/of stone.' What does '-mu' do?

Creates an adjective from a noun (Correct answer)
Creates a verb from a noun
Creates a noun from an adjective
Indicates possession

Correct answer: Creates an adjective from a noun

'-mu' transforms nouns into adjectives: water → watery, stone → stony. This is a denominal adjective suffix — it derives an adjective meaning 'having the quality of X' from a noun. English uses '-y' similarly (water → watery).

Question 105: Analyze: 'iru me kana' = 'I eat rice,' 'iru me saba' = 'I eat fish,' 'iru te kana' = 'you eat rice.' What does 'me' represent?

Eat
I (Correct answer)
You
Rice

Correct answer: I

Comparing sentences 1 and 3, 'me' changes to 'te' when the subject changes from 'I' to 'you,' while 'kana' (rice) stays constant. This confirms 'me' means 'I' and 'te' means 'you.' The verb 'iru' means 'eat.'

Question 106: A fictional language uses: 'min' = 1, 'mid' = 10, 'max' = 100. What does 'max mid min' most likely equal?

111 (Correct answer)
101
112
110

Correct answer: 111

Each component adds its value: max(100) + mid(10) + min(1) = 111.

Question 107: Given these negations: 'ami beka' = 'I go,' 'ami no beka' = 'I don't go,' 'tu beka' = 'you go,' 'tu no beka' = 'you don't go.' What is the negation strategy?

A particle 'no' before the verb (Correct answer)
A prefix on the subject
A suffix on the verb
Changing the verb entirely

Correct answer: A particle 'no' before the verb

Negation is formed by inserting the particle 'no' between the subject and verb: 'ami beka' → 'ami no beka.' This is a pre-verbal negation particle, common in many languages. The verb and subject remain unchanged.

Question 108: In a language, stressed syllables are louder, longer, and higher-pitched than unstressed syllables. Which type of stress system does this describe?

Tone system
Dynamic stress (multiple acoustic correlates) (Correct answer)
No stress system
Pitch accent only

Correct answer: Dynamic stress (multiple acoustic correlates)

When stress involves multiple acoustic properties simultaneously — increased loudness (intensity), duration (length), and fundamental frequency (pitch) — it is a dynamic stress system. English, Russian, and Arabic are dynamic stress languages, unlike pure pitch accent systems.

Question 109: You are given a set of grammatical rules for a new language: 1. Word order is Object-Subject-Verb. 2. Plural nouns are formed by adding '-im' to the end of the word. 3. The word for 'house' is 'zep', 'man' is 'fend', and 'builds' is 'krig'. How would you say 'The men build the houses'?

Zepim fendim krig. (Correct answer)
Krig zepim fendim.
Fendim zepim krig.
Zep fend krigim.

Correct answer: Zepim fendim krig.

The object is 'the houses', which is 'zep' + '-im' = 'zepim' (Rule 2). The subject is 'the men', which is 'fend' + '-im' = 'fendim' (Rule 2). The verb is 'builds' or 'krig'. Following the Object-Subject-Verb order (Rule 1), the sentence is 'Zepim fendim krig'.

Question 110: A language has the following grammatical rules: 1. To form an adverb, add the suffix '-ik' to an adjective. 2. Adverbs are always placed at the very end of the sentence. 3. The standard word order is Subject-Verb. Given the words: 'miles' (the soldier), 'puna' (fights), and 'fort' (brave), how would you correctly say 'The soldier fights bravely'?

fort-ik miles puna
miles fort puna
miles puna fort
miles puna fort-ik (Correct answer)

Correct answer: miles puna fort-ik

First, the adjective 'fort' (brave) must be converted to an adverb ('bravely') by adding the suffix '-ik', which creates 'fort-ik'. Second, the rule states that this adverb must be placed at the end of the sentence. The base sentence is 'miles puna' (The soldier fights), so the final construction is 'miles puna fort-ik'.

Question 111: Image associations: [tall vertical line] = man, [shorter vertical line] = woman, [horizontal line] = child, [wavy line] = animal. You see: [wavy line] + [shorter vertical line]. What does this combination likely mean?

Man and child
Two children
Man and animal
Animal and woman (or 'a female animal') (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Animal and woman (or 'a female animal')

Wavy line = animal, shorter vertical line = woman → 'animal and woman' or 'female animal.'

Question 112: In Rolvic, the indirect object always immediately follows the verb, before the direct object. Statement elements: Subject 'Anu' (she), Verb 'gev' (gives), Indirect Object 'Melo' (to him), Direct Object 'shiru' (flower). What is the correct Rolvic sentence?

Anu gev melo shiru. (Correct answer)
Anu gev shiru melo.
Anu melo gev shiru.
Gev anu melo shiru.

Correct answer: Anu gev melo shiru.

Verb first, then indirect object, then direct object: 'Anu gev melo shiru.'

Question 113: You hear Kelvor minimal pairs: [brak] = hot, [brak:] (long vowel) = cold. [vel] = fast, [vel:] = slow. You hear [talo:]. What is the meaning if [talo] = loud?

Fast
Hot
Quiet (Correct answer)
Loud

Correct answer: Quiet

Long vowel = opposite meaning; [talo:] is the opposite of loud → quiet.

Question 114: The fictional language Veltari marks possession with the suffix '-na' on the possessed noun. 'Shor' means 'book', 'Keli' means 'Maria'. How do you say 'Maria's book'?

Keli shorna (Correct answer)
Keli shor
Shornak Keli
Shorna Keli

Correct answer: Keli shorna

The possessed noun 'shor' takes '-na', and the possessor comes first: 'Keli shorna.'

Question 115: An image shows a sentence box with slots: [SLOT 1: Time] [SLOT 2: Subject] [SLOT 3: Verb] [SLOT 4: Object]. You are given: Subject='Kenu'(dog), Verb='vel'(chases), Object='nalu'(horse), Time='drek'(now). Which arrangement is correct?

Drek kenu vel nalu. (Correct answer)
Kenu vel drek nalu.
Kenu drek vel nalu.
Kenu vel nalu drek.

Correct answer: Drek kenu vel nalu.

Fill slots in order: Time(drek)+Subject(kenu)+Verb(vel)+Object(nalu) = 'Drek kenu vel nalu.'

Question 116: In Bruntic, comparative adjectives are formed by repeating the adjective and adding '-er' to the second copy. 'Fast' is 'drep'. How do you say 'faster'?

Dreper
Drep-er
Drepdrep
Drep dreper (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Drep dreper

Repeat 'drep' and add '-er' to the second copy: 'Drep dreper.'

Question 117: In the invented language Zorathi, stress always falls on the penultimate (second-to-last) syllable. Which word in 'BREN-ak-olu' correctly shows this rule? (Word has 3 syllables: bren-ak-olu.)

BREN-ak-olu
bren-AK-olu (Correct answer)
BRENAK-olu
bren-ak-OLU

Correct answer: bren-AK-olu

Penultimate = second-to-last. In a 3-syllable word, that's syllable 2: bren-AK-olu.

Question 118: Listen to this pattern: 'tapa' [tapa], 'atapa' [atapa], 'matapa' [matapa]. The root is 'tapa.' What phonological process adds material to the beginning?

Infixation
Prefixation (Correct answer)
Suffixation
Epenthesis

Correct answer: Prefixation

Material is added before the root 'tapa': first 'a-' then 'ma-'. Adding sounds or morphemes to the beginning of a word is prefixation. This is distinct from epenthesis (insertion to fix phonotactic violations) because the additions carry grammatical meaning.

Question 119: Given these sentences in Language R: 'tamu ven gir' = 'the boy kicks the ball' and 'gir ven tamu-ko' = 'the ball is kicked by the boy.' What does '-ko' indicate?

Agent in passive voice (Correct answer)
Possessive marker
Plural marker
Past tense

Correct answer: Agent in passive voice

In the active sentence, 'tamu' (boy) is the subject. In the passive version, 'tamu-ko' appears at the end with the suffix '-ko,' marking the agent (doer) in a passive construction. This is similar to the Japanese particle 'ni' in passive sentences.

Question 120: A test language uses Subject-Object-Verb order with adjectives always preceding their nouns. 'The tall man sees a small cat' has which structure?

Adj-Noun Adj-Noun Verb (Correct answer)
Verb Adj-Noun Adj-Noun
Adj-Noun Verb Adj-Noun
Noun-Adj Verb Noun-Adj

Correct answer: Adj-Noun Adj-Noun Verb

SOV with pre-noun adjectives yields [tall man] [small cat] [sees], which is Adj-Noun Adj-Noun Verb.

Question 121: In Vulpian, the word "Stan" means "jump." What does the term 'stanvoid' mean?

Void jump
Do not jump (Correct answer)
Jumping
Jump into void

Correct answer: Do not jump

The Vulpian word 'Stan' means 'jump'. The term 'stanvoid' means 'Do not jump', which shows that the suffix '-void' is used to negate the action of the verb. Therefore, 'stanvoid' instructs 'Do not jump'.

Question 122: Given: 'kal mun do' = 'big red house,' 'kal sep do' = 'big blue house,' and 'mun tir' = 'red bird.' What is 'big blue bird'?

sep tir kal
sep kal tir
kal sep tir (Correct answer)
tir sep kal

Correct answer: kal sep tir

From the examples, adjectives precede the noun: 'kal' (big) and 'mun' (red) come before 'do' (house). The order is size-adjective + color-adjective + noun. So 'big blue bird' is 'kal sep tir.'

Question 123: A visual rule card shows: [picture of man] + [-el] = 'a man' ; [picture of woman] + [-af] = 'a woman' ; [picture of man] + [-elom] = 'men'. Following the pattern, what does [picture of woman] + [-afom] mean?

A woman
Men
Man
Women (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Women

'-om' added to the gender suffix marks plural: '-afom' = women (plural of woman).

Question 124: In this language's grammar, possession is shown by adding the suffix '-ep' to the possessor. To make a noun plural, the prefix 'vo-' is added. The possessor always comes before the thing being possessed. If 'bax' means 'box' and 'gorn' means 'rock', which of the following correctly translates to 'the rock's boxes'?

vo-gorn-ep bax
gorn-ep vo-bax (Correct answer)
gorn vo-bax-ep
vo-bax gorn-ep

Correct answer: gorn-ep vo-bax

The possessor is 'the rock' (gorn), so it takes the possessive suffix '-ep', becoming 'gorn-ep'. The possessed item is 'boxes', which is the plural of 'box' (bax). The plural prefix 'vo-' is added, making it 'vo-bax'. The possessor ('gorn-ep') comes before the possessed item ('vo-bax'), resulting in 'gorn-ep vo-bax'.

Defense Language Aptitude Battery (DLAB)

The DLAB assesses an individual's aptitude for learning foreign languages, rather than their proficiency in a specific language.

124

Questions

90 min

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100%

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