II MA English / Language and Linguistics -Assignment 2

Which of the following best defines a synchronic approach to language study?

• Examining the changes in a language over time.

• Studying a language at a particular point in time, without considering its historical development.

• Analyzing how two different languages interact and influence each other.

• Comparing dialects of a language across different geographical regions.

A diachronic approach to language primarily focuses on:

• Language variation based on social factors in a single time period.

• The influence of other languages on the evolution of a particular language.

• The changes and developments in a language over time.

• The structural relationships between different languages.

Which of the following is the primary reason for linguistic borrowing?

• The desire to preserve a language's purity.

• The need to develop entirely new vocabulary in a language.

• Contact between speakers of different languages, often due to trade, migration, or cultural exchange.

• The influence of regional dialects on a standard language.

Which of the following is an example of loanwords resulting from linguistic borrowing?

• The creation of new words using native morphemes.

• Words like "piano" (from Italian) or "café" (from French) used in English.

• The development of idiomatic expressions unique to a language.

• Shifts in pronunciation within a single language over time.

Which type of loanword is directly borrowed from another language with little to no modification in form or pronunciation?

• Loan translation

• Calque

• Direct loan

• Hybrid loan

What is a calque in the classification of loanwords?

• A word borrowed with slight changes in its pronunciation.

• A word-for-word or morpheme-for-morpheme translation from another language.

• A loanword that blends elements of both the borrowing and the source languages.

• A completely new word created to resemble a foreign word.

What is the primary characteristic of an assimilated loanword?

• It retains its original form and pronunciation from the source language.

• It is adapted to fit the phonological, morphological, and grammatical rules of the borrowing language.

• It is borrowed from a classical language like Latin or Greek.

• It is used exclusively in scientific or technical contexts.

Which of the following best describes an unassimilated loanword?

• A word that has undergone significant changes to conform to the borrowing language's rules.

• A word borrowed from a neighboring dialect.

• A word that retains its original pronunciation, spelling, and form from the source language.

• A word that has merged with native words to form a new expression.

Which of the following is a common method used to collect data for a dialect atlas?

• Analyzing historical texts to determine regional language variation.

• Conducting fieldwork interviews with speakers in various regions to record linguistic features.

• Using only written surveys to gather language information.

• Creating new artificial languages to map dialect differences.

What is a key component of organizing the data in a dialect atlas?

• Grouping all language data by word frequency.

• Mapping linguistic variations geographically, showing the distribution of specific language features.

• Organizing dialects by the number of speakers in each region.

• Arranging dialect data chronologically, based on historical periods.