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Typology and Language Universals

This quiz evaluates your knowledge of typology and language universals.

15 Questions Published
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Questions

Question 1 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is typology in linguistics?

  1. The study of language variation
  2. The study of language universals
  3. The study of language acquisition
  4. The study of language change
Question 2 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is a language universal?

  1. A feature that is found in all human languages
  2. A feature that is found in most human languages
  3. A feature that is found in some human languages
  4. A feature that is not found in any human language
Question 3 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a language universal?

  1. The use of nouns and verbs
  2. The use of a subject-verb-object word order
  3. The use of a tonal system
  4. The use of a writing system
Question 4 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a typological parameter?

  1. The number of vowels in a language
  2. The presence or absence of a tonal system
  3. The word order of a language
  4. The use of a writing system
Question 5 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is a typological classification of languages?

  1. Indo-European languages
  2. Semitic languages
  3. Austronesian languages
  4. Head-marking languages
Question 6 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is the Greenbergian approach to typology?

  1. It focuses on identifying language universals
  2. It focuses on classifying languages based on their structural features
  3. It focuses on studying the relationship between language and culture
  4. It focuses on studying the evolution of language
Question 7 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis?

  1. It states that language influences thought
  2. It states that thought influences language
  3. It states that language and thought are independent of each other
  4. It states that language and thought are the same thing
Question 8 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a language universal related to phonology?

  1. All languages have vowels and consonants
  2. All languages have a tonal system
  3. All languages have a writing system
  4. All languages have a fixed number of phonemes
Question 9 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a language universal related to syntax?

  1. All languages have a subject-verb-object word order
  2. All languages have a verb-subject-object word order
  3. All languages have a subject-object-verb word order
  4. All languages have a free word order
Question 10 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a language universal related to semantics?

  1. All languages have words for 'mother' and 'father'
  2. All languages have words for 'dog' and 'cat'
  3. All languages have words for 'tree' and 'flower'
  4. All languages have words for 'love' and 'hate'
Question 11 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a language universal related to pragmatics?

  1. All languages have rules for turn-taking in conversation
  2. All languages have rules for politeness
  3. All languages have rules for expressing emotions
  4. All languages have rules for telling jokes
Question 12 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a language universal related to language acquisition?

  1. All children acquire their first language in the same way
  2. All children acquire their first language at the same rate
  3. All children acquire their first language without formal instruction
  4. All children acquire their first language by the age of 5
Question 13 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a language universal related to language change?

  1. All languages change over time
  2. All languages change at the same rate
  3. All languages change in the same way
  4. All languages eventually die out
Question 14 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a language universal related to language diversity?

  1. There are over 6,000 languages spoken in the world
  2. All languages are equally complex
  3. All languages are equally useful
  4. All languages are equally endangered
Question 15 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which of the following is an example of a language universal related to language endangerment?

  1. All languages are endangered
  2. Some languages are more endangered than others
  3. Endangered languages are only spoken by a small number of people
  4. Endangered languages are only spoken in remote areas
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