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Cross-Linguistic Patterns in Language Change

Description: This quiz evaluates your understanding of cross-linguistic patterns in language change. It covers topics such as sound changes, grammatical changes, and lexical changes.
Number of Questions: 15
Created by:
Tags: linguistics language change cross-linguistic patterns
Attempted 0/15 Correct 0 Score 0

Which of the following is an example of a sound change?

  1. The change from /t/ to /d/ in the word 'water'

  2. The change from 'I' to 'me' in the phrase 'I love you'

  3. The change from 'go' to 'went' in the sentence 'I went to the store'


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

A sound change is a change in the pronunciation of a word or language over time. In this case, the /t/ sound in 'water' has changed to a /d/ sound.

Which of the following is an example of a grammatical change?

  1. The change from 'I' to 'me' in the phrase 'I love you'

  2. The change from 'go' to 'went' in the sentence 'I went to the store'

  3. The change from 'the book' to 'book' in the sentence 'I read the book'


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

A grammatical change is a change in the way words are used in a language. In this case, the pronoun 'I' has changed to the object pronoun 'me' in the phrase 'I love you'.

Which of the following is an example of a lexical change?

  1. The change from 'go' to 'went' in the sentence 'I went to the store'

  2. The change from 'the book' to 'book' in the sentence 'I read the book'

  3. The change from 'car' to 'automobile' in the sentence 'I bought a new car'


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

A lexical change is a change in the vocabulary of a language. In this case, the word 'car' has been replaced by the word 'automobile' in the sentence 'I bought a new car'.

Which of the following is a common sound change?

  1. Assimilation

  2. Dissimilation

  3. Metathesis


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Assimilation is a common sound change in which one sound becomes more like a neighboring sound. For example, the /t/ sound in 'water' has changed to a /d/ sound because it is next to the /r/ sound.

Which of the following is a common grammatical change?

  1. The loss of case marking

  2. The development of new tense systems

  3. The change from subject-verb-object word order to object-verb-subject word order


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The loss of case marking is a common grammatical change in which words no longer change their form to indicate their grammatical function. For example, in English, the word 'book' does not change its form to indicate whether it is the subject or the object of a sentence.

Which of the following is a common lexical change?

  1. The borrowing of words from other languages

  2. The creation of new words

  3. The change in meaning of existing words


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The borrowing of words from other languages is a common lexical change. For example, the English word 'computer' is borrowed from the Latin word 'computare', which means 'to calculate'.

Which of the following factors can influence language change?

  1. Contact with other languages

  2. Social and cultural changes

  3. Technological changes


Correct Option:
Explanation:

All of the above factors can influence language change. Contact with other languages can lead to the borrowing of words and grammatical structures. Social and cultural changes can lead to changes in the way words are used. Technological changes can lead to the creation of new words and changes in the meaning of existing words.

Which of the following is an example of a language change that has occurred in English over time?

  1. The loss of the case system

  2. The development of the definite and indefinite articles

  3. The change from subject-verb-object word order to object-verb-subject word order


Correct Option:
Explanation:

All of the above changes have occurred in English over time. The case system, which was used to indicate the grammatical function of words, has been lost. The definite and indefinite articles, 'the' and 'a/an', have developed. And the word order has changed from subject-verb-object to object-verb-subject.

Which of the following is an example of a language change that is currently happening in English?

  1. The use of 'like' as a discourse marker

  2. The use of 'y'all' as a second-person plural pronoun

  3. The use of 'selfie' to refer to a photograph taken of oneself


Correct Option:
Explanation:

All of the above changes are currently happening in English. The use of 'like' as a discourse marker, the use of 'y'all' as a second-person plural pronoun, and the use of 'selfie' to refer to a photograph taken of oneself are all examples of language change.

Which of the following is an example of a language change that is likely to happen in the future?

  1. The use of gender-neutral pronouns

  2. The use of emojis in formal writing

  3. The use of voice commands to control devices


Correct Option:
Explanation:

All of the above changes are likely to happen in the future. The use of gender-neutral pronouns, the use of emojis in formal writing, and the use of voice commands to control devices are all examples of language change that is likely to occur in the future.

What is the term for the study of cross-linguistic patterns in language change?

  1. Comparative linguistics

  2. Historical linguistics

  3. Diachronic linguistics


Correct Option:
Explanation:

Comparative linguistics, historical linguistics, and diachronic linguistics are all terms for the study of cross-linguistic patterns in language change.

Which of the following is a major theory of language change?

  1. The neogrammarian theory

  2. The generative theory

  3. The functionalist theory


Correct Option:
Explanation:

The neogrammarian theory, the generative theory, and the functionalist theory are all major theories of language change.

What is the neogrammarian theory of language change?

  1. Sound changes are regular and exceptionless.

  2. Grammatical changes are regular and exceptionless.

  3. Lexical changes are regular and exceptionless.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The neogrammarian theory of language change states that sound changes are regular and exceptionless. This means that a sound change will apply to all words in a language that contain the sound that is changing.

What is the generative theory of language change?

  1. Language change is driven by changes in the grammar of a language.

  2. Language change is driven by changes in the lexicon of a language.

  3. Language change is driven by changes in the sound system of a language.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The generative theory of language change states that language change is driven by changes in the grammar of a language. This means that changes in the way words are used and combined can lead to changes in the sound system and the lexicon of a language.

What is the functionalist theory of language change?

  1. Language change is driven by changes in the function of language.

  2. Language change is driven by changes in the structure of language.

  3. Language change is driven by changes in the history of language.


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The functionalist theory of language change states that language change is driven by changes in the function of language. This means that changes in the way language is used to communicate can lead to changes in the grammar, the lexicon, and the sound system of a language.

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