Language and History

This quiz will test your knowledge of the history and evolution of languages.

15 Questions Published

Questions

Question 1 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which language is considered to be the oldest written language in the world?

  1. Sumerian
  2. Egyptian
  3. Chinese
  4. Greek
Question 2 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is the most widely spoken language in the world?

  1. Mandarin Chinese
  2. Spanish
  3. English
  4. Hindi
Question 3 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which language family is the largest in the world?

  1. Indo-European
  2. Sino-Tibetan
  3. Niger-Congo
  4. Afro-Asiatic
Question 4 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is the process by which languages change over time called?

  1. Language evolution
  2. Language drift
  3. Language change
  4. Language shift
Question 5 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which language is considered to be the lingua franca of the modern world?

  1. English
  2. Spanish
  3. French
  4. Mandarin Chinese
Question 6 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is the term for the process by which a language is adopted by a new group of speakers?

  1. Language acquisition
  2. Language shift
  3. Language contact
  4. Language death
Question 7 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which language is considered to be the most difficult language to learn?

  1. Mandarin Chinese
  2. Arabic
  3. Hungarian
  4. Japanese
Question 8 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is the term for the process by which a language becomes extinct?

  1. Language death
  2. Language shift
  3. Language contact
  4. Language acquisition
Question 9 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which language is considered to be the most widely spoken language in Africa?

  1. Swahili
  2. Hausa
  3. Yoruba
  4. Zulu
Question 10 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is the term for the process by which two or more languages influence each other?

  1. Language contact
  2. Language shift
  3. Language death
  4. Language acquisition
Question 11 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which language is considered to be the most widely spoken language in Europe?

  1. Russian
  2. German
  3. French
  4. English
Question 12 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is the term for the process by which a language is acquired by a child?

  1. Language acquisition
  2. Language shift
  3. Language contact
  4. Language death
Question 13 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which language is considered to be the most widely spoken language in South America?

  1. Spanish
  2. Portuguese
  3. Quechua
  4. Aymara
Question 14 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

What is the term for the process by which a language is standardized?

  1. Language standardization
  2. Language shift
  3. Language contact
  4. Language death
Question 15 Multiple Choice (Single Answer)

Which language is considered to be the most widely spoken language in North America?

  1. English
  2. Spanish
  3. French
  4. Nahuatl