Lexical Typology

Description: This quiz aims to assess your understanding of Lexical Typology, a branch of linguistics that explores how languages organize and categorize words.
Number of Questions: 15
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Tags: lexical typology language typology linguistics
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Which of the following is NOT a basic lexical category found in most languages?

  1. Noun

  2. Verb

  3. Adjective

  4. Numeral


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Numerals are not considered a basic lexical category because they are not open-class, meaning new numerals are not easily created in the same way that new nouns, verbs, and adjectives can be.

In a language with noun classes, what determines the class of a noun?

  1. Semantic features

  2. Syntactic function

  3. Morphological properties

  4. All of the above


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

In languages with noun classes, the class of a noun is typically determined by a combination of semantic features, syntactic function, and morphological properties.

Which of the following is NOT a type of lexical contrast found in some languages?

  1. Singular vs. plural

  2. Masculine vs. feminine

  3. Animate vs. inanimate

  4. Human vs. non-human


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

While singular vs. plural, masculine vs. feminine, and animate vs. inanimate are all common lexical contrasts found in languages, human vs. non-human is not typically a lexical contrast.

What is the term for a language that has a relatively small number of basic lexical categories?

  1. Polysynthetic

  2. Oligosynthetic

  3. Analytic

  4. Synthetic


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Oligosynthetic languages are characterized by a relatively small number of basic lexical categories, with complex words formed by combining multiple morphemes.

Which of the following is NOT a type of derivational affix?

  1. Prefix

  2. Suffix

  3. Infix

  4. Circumfix


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Circumfixes are not derivational affixes, but rather a type of affix that surrounds a root or stem.

What is the term for a language that has a relatively large number of basic lexical categories?

  1. Polysynthetic

  2. Oligosynthetic

  3. Analytic

  4. Synthetic


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Polysynthetic languages are characterized by a relatively large number of basic lexical categories, with words often consisting of multiple morphemes.

Which of the following is NOT a type of inflectional affix?

  1. Prefix

  2. Suffix

  3. Infix

  4. Ablaut


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Ablaut is not an inflectional affix, but rather a type of vowel change that can be used to indicate grammatical distinctions.

What is the term for a language that has a relatively small number of morphemes per word?

  1. Polysynthetic

  2. Oligosynthetic

  3. Analytic

  4. Synthetic


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Analytic languages are characterized by a relatively small number of morphemes per word, with grammatical distinctions typically indicated by separate words.

Which of the following is NOT a type of compounding?

  1. Root compounding

  2. Stem compounding

  3. Affix compounding

  4. Synthetic compounding


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Synthetic compounding is not a type of compounding, but rather a type of word formation in which morphemes are combined to form new words.

What is the term for a language that has a relatively large number of morphemes per word?

  1. Polysynthetic

  2. Oligosynthetic

  3. Analytic

  4. Synthetic


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Synthetic languages are characterized by a relatively large number of morphemes per word, with grammatical distinctions typically indicated by affixes.

Which of the following is NOT a type of lexical borrowing?

  1. Loanword

  2. Calque

  3. Cognate

  4. Hybrid


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Cognates are not a type of lexical borrowing, but rather words that share a common origin in an ancestral language.

What is the term for a language that has a relatively small number of phonemes?

  1. Polysynthetic

  2. Oligosynthetic

  3. Analytic

  4. Synthetic


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Oligosynthetic languages are characterized by a relatively small number of phonemes, with complex words formed by combining multiple morphemes.

Which of the following is NOT a type of lexical innovation?

  1. Neologism

  2. Borrowing

  3. Coinage

  4. Semantic shift


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Coinage is not a type of lexical innovation, but rather the process of creating a new word.

What is the term for a language that has a relatively large number of phonemes?

  1. Polysynthetic

  2. Oligosynthetic

  3. Analytic

  4. Synthetic


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Polysynthetic languages are characterized by a relatively large number of phonemes, with words often consisting of multiple morphemes.

Which of the following is NOT a type of lexical change?

  1. Sound change

  2. Grammatical change

  3. Semantic change

  4. Morphological change


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Grammatical change is not a type of lexical change, but rather a type of language change that affects the grammar of a language.

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