Q.1 What is the primary function of language in human societies?
To produce art
To communicate ideas
To hunt animals
To build tools
Explanation - Language is primarily a tool for communication, allowing humans to share information, ideas, and emotions.
Correct answer is: To communicate ideas
Q.2 Who is considered the father of linguistic anthropology?
Franz Boas
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Margaret Mead
Edward Tylor
Explanation - Franz Boas is known as the father of linguistic anthropology due to his pioneering work on language and culture.
Correct answer is: Franz Boas
Q.3 What term refers to the study of the structure and rules of language?
Pragmatics
Phonology
Syntax
Semantics
Explanation - Syntax is the set of rules that governs sentence structure in a language.
Correct answer is: Syntax
Q.4 Which concept explains how language shapes our perception of reality?
Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
Cultural relativism
Structuralism
Symbolic interactionism
Explanation - The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis proposes that the structure of a language influences its speakers' worldview and cognition.
Correct answer is: Sapir-Whorf hypothesis
Q.5 What is 'code-switching'?
Translating words literally
Switching between languages or dialects in conversation
Inventing new words
Using body language instead of speech
Explanation - Code-switching is the practice of alternating between two or more languages or varieties of language in a single conversation.
Correct answer is: Switching between languages or dialects in conversation
Q.6 Which term refers to the smallest unit of sound in a language?
Morpheme
Phoneme
Grapheme
Syntax
Explanation - A phoneme is the smallest unit of sound that can distinguish meaning in a language.
Correct answer is: Phoneme
Q.7 What is the difference between 'language' and 'dialect'?
Language is spoken; dialect is written
Dialects are regional or social varieties of a language
Language is universal; dialect is artificial
There is no difference
Explanation - A dialect is a version of a language spoken by a specific group, differing in pronunciation, vocabulary, or grammar.
Correct answer is: Dialects are regional or social varieties of a language
Q.8 Which field studies how language use varies in different social contexts?
Phonetics
Sociolinguistics
Semantics
Syntax
Explanation - Sociolinguistics examines how language varies according to social factors like class, gender, and context.
Correct answer is: Sociolinguistics
Q.9 What is the term for a language that has no known relatives?
Pidgin
Creole
Isolate
Lingua franca
Explanation - A language isolate is a language with no demonstrable genetic relationship to any other language.
Correct answer is: Isolate
Q.10 Which type of communication relies on gestures, facial expressions, and body movements?
Verbal communication
Nonverbal communication
Written communication
Phonetic communication
Explanation - Nonverbal communication uses body language and visual cues to convey messages without words.
Correct answer is: Nonverbal communication
Q.11 What is a 'pidgin' language?
A fully developed native language
A simplified language developed for communication between groups with no common language
A formal written language
An extinct language
Explanation - Pidgins are simplified languages that arise as a means of communication between speakers of different languages.
Correct answer is: A simplified language developed for communication between groups with no common language
Q.12 Which term refers to a language that develops from a pidgin and becomes a native language?
Creole
Dialect
Slang
Lingua franca
Explanation - A creole is a fully developed language that evolves from a pidgin and is learned as a native language by a community.
Correct answer is: Creole
Q.13 What is the study of meaning in language called?
Syntax
Morphology
Semantics
Pragmatics
Explanation - Semantics is the branch of linguistics that deals with the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences.
Correct answer is: Semantics
Q.14 Which anthropologist studied the relationship between language, culture, and thought in Native American societies?
Edward Sapir
Claude Lévi-Strauss
Bronislaw Malinowski
Ruth Benedict
Explanation - Edward Sapir, along with Benjamin Lee Whorf, studied how language influences thought and cultural patterns.
Correct answer is: Edward Sapir
Q.15 Which of the following is an example of a 'lingua franca'?
French in France
Swahili in East Africa
Mandarin in China
Japanese in Japan
Explanation - A lingua franca is a common language used for communication between speakers of different native languages.
Correct answer is: Swahili in East Africa
Q.16 What is 'pragmatics' concerned with in language study?
Word formation
Sound patterns
Contextual meaning and language use
Sentence structure
Explanation - Pragmatics studies how context influences the interpretation of meaning in language.
Correct answer is: Contextual meaning and language use
Q.17 What is the smallest unit of meaning in a language?
Phoneme
Morpheme
Syntax
Lexeme
Explanation - A morpheme is the smallest meaningful unit in a language, like 'un-' or '-ed'.
Correct answer is: Morpheme
Q.18 Which term refers to informal, nonstandard words used in everyday speech?
Dialect
Slang
Creole
Pidgin
Explanation - Slang consists of informal or playful words and expressions used in casual communication.
Correct answer is: Slang
Q.19 Which concept in linguistic anthropology explores how power and identity are expressed through language?
Structuralism
Ethnolinguistics
Sociolinguistics
Semiotics
Explanation - Sociolinguistics studies how language reflects and shapes social hierarchies, identity, and power relations.
Correct answer is: Sociolinguistics
Q.20 What does 'ethnolinguistics' study?
The evolution of sounds in a language
The relationship between language and culture
Grammar rules of a language
Universal language structures
Explanation - Ethnolinguistics examines how language influences cultural practices and vice versa.
Correct answer is: The relationship between language and culture
Q.21 Which is an example of nonverbal communication?
Writing an email
Nodding to indicate agreement
Speaking on the phone
Reading a book
Explanation - Nonverbal communication includes gestures, facial expressions, and body language used to convey meaning.
Correct answer is: Nodding to indicate agreement
Q.22 Which anthropologist emphasized the study of language as a key to understanding culture?
Franz Boas
Edward Sapir
Margaret Mead
Bronislaw Malinowski
Explanation - Edward Sapir highlighted the connection between language and culture, laying the groundwork for linguistic anthropology.
Correct answer is: Edward Sapir
Q.23 What is 'semantic shift'?
A change in word meaning over time
The creation of new words
Switching dialects
Phonetic variation
Explanation - Semantic shift occurs when a word’s meaning evolves, such as 'mouse' referring to a computer device.
Correct answer is: A change in word meaning over time
Q.24 What is a 'grapheme'?
Smallest unit of sound
Written symbol representing a sound or letter
Smallest unit of meaning
Sentence structure unit
Explanation - A grapheme is the written representation of a sound (phoneme) in a language.
Correct answer is: Written symbol representing a sound or letter
Q.25 Which type of language is used primarily for specialized purposes, such as law or medicine?
Jargon
Slang
Pidgin
Creole
Explanation - Jargon is specialized language used within a particular profession or group to communicate efficiently.
Correct answer is: Jargon