MH Language and Linguistics 4

Question 1

Which theory of meaning argues that the meaning of a word is determined by its use in language, not by a fixed mental concept?

Accepted Answer

Use theory (Wittgenstein)

Answer

Wittgenstein's use theory holds that meaning is not a private mental image but is constituted by how words are used in social practice and language games.

Question 2

What does 'historical linguistics' primarily investigate?

Accepted Answer

How languages change over time and how languages are related

Answer

Historical linguistics studies linguistic change over time, reconstructs proto-languages, and establishes genealogical relationships between languages.

Question 3

What is 'markedness' in linguistic theory?

Accepted Answer

A relationship where one linguistic form is unmarked (default) and another is marked (less basic or more complex)

Answer

Markedness refers to the asymmetry between a default, more natural form (unmarked) and a less basic, more restricted form (marked) in phonology, morphology, and syntax.

Question 4

Which linguistic concept explains why the sentence 'The king of France is bald' is problematic when France has no king?

Accepted Answer

Presupposition failure

Answer

Presupposition failure occurs when an utterance assumes something that is not true, making the statement neither straightforwardly true nor false.

Question 5

What is the key distinction between langue and parole in Saussure's linguistics?

Accepted Answer

Langue is the abstract system of a language; parole is actual speech use by individuals

Answer

For Saussure, langue is the shared, abstract system of rules and conventions, while parole is the individual, concrete acts of speaking that draw on that system.

MH - Master of Humanities Practice Test

MH - Master of Humanities Practice Test

MH Language and Linguistics 4