UNH ANTH 411 EXAM 2 | QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS |
2026 UPDATE | WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION
language Answer - - a particular type of communication system that is
symbolic and learned; has a set of rules for generating speech and helps us
interpret culture
- easily flexible; meanings can be changed and new symbols created
animal/human communication Answer - - the ability to use sounds or symbols
to communicate with each other; language for animals is biologically inherited
whereas humans learn it
- ability to answer questions without the assistance of others; emotional
associations under certain situations
Signifier/Signified Answer - - Symbolic Signs are established by convention,
usage, and history.
They express a perceived (but arbitrary) connection between a signifier
(conveyer of meaning) and a signified (what is conveyed)
- Signifier=bald eagle --> American flag=Signified
,Indexical Signs Answer - - something directly observable points to a linked
association (ex: dark cloud = stormy/rainy weather)
- INDEXical --> Index finger points to something
Iconic Signs Answer - - represents what it stands for (ex: printer symbol/clip-art
resembles exactly what is stands for)
- No smoking sign
Creole Answer - - formed from pidgin, mother tongue (has native speakers),
more complex; language of a population
- As pidgins change into creoles over several generations, their vocabularies
enlarge.
Code-Switching/Diglossia Answer - - switching back and forth between dialects
depending on social situation
Phonemes Answer - - distinct unit of sound that changes the meaning of a
word; gin, kin, win, sin --> in
Morphemes Answer - - the smallest combination of sounds that have meaning
and cannot be broken into smaller meaningful units
-cow is one morpheme while cowboy is composed of two (cow and boy)
Syntax Answer - - the standardized set of rules that determine how words
should be combined to make sense to speakers of a language
, - All native speakers of a language learn the basic rules of syntax as they grow
up
Paralanguage Answer - - non-verbal communication that emphasizes body
language and voice nuances as means of expressing thoughts and feelings
- gestures and expressions that accompany speech and shape its meaning and
interpretation
- many expressions are universally recognizable but require contextual
interpretation
Kinesics Answer - - communication through body movement; highly culture-
bound; the language of gestures, expressions, and postures
Power-posing Answer - - ted talk by Amy Cuddy, body language can affect how
we feel and how we are perceived, open poses = powerful, closed poses =
submissive, "fake it until you become it" (which is kind of a shitty motto)
- open postures cause our brains to produce testosterone, which makes us feel
powerful and confident, while closed postures leads to the production of
cortisone, which makes us feel sad, depressed, scared, and powerless.
iHunch Answer - - technology is worsening our posture because we tend to
lean over devices to read them, creates more negative feelings and projects
submissive body language
Socio-linguistics Answer - - The study of the ways in which culture shapes
language, language shapes culture, and particularly the intersection of
2026 UPDATE | WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION
language Answer - - a particular type of communication system that is
symbolic and learned; has a set of rules for generating speech and helps us
interpret culture
- easily flexible; meanings can be changed and new symbols created
animal/human communication Answer - - the ability to use sounds or symbols
to communicate with each other; language for animals is biologically inherited
whereas humans learn it
- ability to answer questions without the assistance of others; emotional
associations under certain situations
Signifier/Signified Answer - - Symbolic Signs are established by convention,
usage, and history.
They express a perceived (but arbitrary) connection between a signifier
(conveyer of meaning) and a signified (what is conveyed)
- Signifier=bald eagle --> American flag=Signified
,Indexical Signs Answer - - something directly observable points to a linked
association (ex: dark cloud = stormy/rainy weather)
- INDEXical --> Index finger points to something
Iconic Signs Answer - - represents what it stands for (ex: printer symbol/clip-art
resembles exactly what is stands for)
- No smoking sign
Creole Answer - - formed from pidgin, mother tongue (has native speakers),
more complex; language of a population
- As pidgins change into creoles over several generations, their vocabularies
enlarge.
Code-Switching/Diglossia Answer - - switching back and forth between dialects
depending on social situation
Phonemes Answer - - distinct unit of sound that changes the meaning of a
word; gin, kin, win, sin --> in
Morphemes Answer - - the smallest combination of sounds that have meaning
and cannot be broken into smaller meaningful units
-cow is one morpheme while cowboy is composed of two (cow and boy)
Syntax Answer - - the standardized set of rules that determine how words
should be combined to make sense to speakers of a language
, - All native speakers of a language learn the basic rules of syntax as they grow
up
Paralanguage Answer - - non-verbal communication that emphasizes body
language and voice nuances as means of expressing thoughts and feelings
- gestures and expressions that accompany speech and shape its meaning and
interpretation
- many expressions are universally recognizable but require contextual
interpretation
Kinesics Answer - - communication through body movement; highly culture-
bound; the language of gestures, expressions, and postures
Power-posing Answer - - ted talk by Amy Cuddy, body language can affect how
we feel and how we are perceived, open poses = powerful, closed poses =
submissive, "fake it until you become it" (which is kind of a shitty motto)
- open postures cause our brains to produce testosterone, which makes us feel
powerful and confident, while closed postures leads to the production of
cortisone, which makes us feel sad, depressed, scared, and powerless.
iHunch Answer - - technology is worsening our posture because we tend to
lean over devices to read them, creates more negative feelings and projects
submissive body language
Socio-linguistics Answer - - The study of the ways in which culture shapes
language, language shapes culture, and particularly the intersection of
