MH Language and Linguistics 3

Question 1

In morphology, what is the difference between an inflectional morpheme and a derivational morpheme?

Accepted Answer

Derivational morphemes create new words or change category; inflectional morphemes mark grammatical features

Answer

Derivational morphemes create new lexical items or change grammatical category (e.g., 'happi-ness'), while inflectional morphemes mark grammatical relationships like tense or number.

Question 2

Which language acquisition theory holds that children are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD) containing universal grammar?

Accepted Answer

Nativist (innateness) theory

Answer

Noam Chomsky's nativist theory proposes that humans are biologically predisposed to acquire language via an innate LAD containing principles of universal grammar.

Question 3

What is codeswitching in sociolinguistics?

Accepted Answer

Alternating between two or more languages within a conversation

Answer

Codeswitching is the practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects within a single conversation, often reflecting social identity and context.

Question 4

Which phonological process refers to a sound becoming more like a neighboring sound?

Accepted Answer

Assimilation

Answer

Assimilation is the phonological process where a sound takes on features of an adjacent sound, increasing phonetic similarity for ease of articulation.

Question 5

What does the term 'diglossia' refer to in sociolinguistics?

Accepted Answer

The coexistence of two varieties of a language with distinct social functions

Answer

Diglossia, introduced by Charles Ferguson, describes a situation where two language varieties coexist in a community with different social registers or domains.

MH - Master of Humanities Practice Test

MH - Master of Humanities Practice Test

MH Language and Linguistics 3