Language and Linguistics Quiz

The written form of a language is called a ______.

• literary tradition

• oral tradition

• dialect

• vernacular

A form of a language spoken in a local area is called a ______.

• dialect

• accent

• slang

• jargon

A group of languages that share a common origin but have since evolved into individual languages is called a ______.

• language family

• dialect group

• linguistic branch

• speech community

A language family is a group of languages related through descent from a common ancestral language. Which of the following is an example of a language family?

• Indo-European

• Latin

• English

• Mandarin

The second-largest language family is the ______.

• Sino-Tibetan language family

• Indo-European language family

• Afro-Asiatic language family

• Austronesian language family

Which of the following is a possible prehistoric language superfamily?

• Nostratic

• Indo-European

• Sino-Tibetan

• Afro-Asiatic

When languages are depicted as leaves on trees, the trunk of the tree represents the ______.

• roots

• branches

• language family

• individual languages

What is the reason why English is the most important language in North America?

• Historical colonization by English-speaking countries

• Geographical proximity to English-speaking countries

• Economic influence of English-speaking countries

• Cultural dominance of English-speaking media

The first speakers of the language that evolved into English were which peoples?

• Romans

• Celts

• Anglo-Saxons

• Vikings

English is the most important language in North America primarily because of

• migration and the fact it is a lingua franca.

• its historical ties to the British Empire.

• its use in international business.

• its prevalence in popular media.