LING 115 LINGUISTICS MIDTERM 2
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ Which of the following CAN'T be described by an s-curve?
1) the diffusion of a sound change through the words a speaker
knows
2) the diffusion of a disease through a community
3) the diffusion of a sound change through the speakers of a
language
4) the diffusion of pollution in a body of water
Answer: 4) the diffusion of pollution in a body of water
◉ (T/F) Once a change begins in a language, it can't be stopped.
Answer: False
,◉ (T/F) If a sound change happened in English such that all
instances of "th" became pronounced as "d," the word "that" would
be pronounced as "dat" before the word "thereby" was pronounced
as "dereby."
Answer: True
◉ The language of Napkinish is experiencing a change. Speakers,
starting in the city of Forktown, have stopped using the "-ippa" suffix
in the past tense. In Forktown, the words "tullippa," "loppippa," and
"bonippa" are all now pronounced as "tull," "lopp," and "bon" in the
past tense. In the town of Spoonville thirty miles away, "tullippa" is
pronounced as "tull," and "bonippa" is pronounced as "bon," but
"loppippa" must still be pronounced "loppippa." Bowlville is another
town sixty miles away from Forktown on the other side of
Spoonville. (You have to drive through Spoonville to get to Bowlville
in fact.) What must be true in Bowlville?
The people in Bowlville definitely do NOT say "lopp" instead of
"loppippa."
The people in Bowlville definitely say "lopp" instead of "loppippa."
The people in Bowlville definitely say "bon" instead of "bonippa."
The language change definitely hasn't reached Bowlville.
Answer: The people in Bowlville definitely do NOT say "lopp"
instead of "loppippa."
, ◉ (T/F) An isogloss is a line between two dialects.
Answer: False
◉ It has become common in some varieties of English recently to say
"las" instead of "last" (as in: "He came in las"). Which of the
following is true of this change?
Answer: It is the result of a predictable change whereby speakers
reduce the markedness of the language.
◉ What does the Benrath Line mark?
Answer: Whether speakers of German say "k" or "ch" on words such
as "ich" and "machen."
◉ (T/F) If speakers of a variety are unsure about a linguistic feature
(ex: they can't quite decide if the plural of "cactus" is "cacti" or
"cactuses"), it's probably because that linguistic feature is in the
process of changing.
Answer: True
◉ Why do most speakers of American English pronounce "cursory"
with three syllables and "every" with two syllables?
Answer: "Every" is a more common word than "cursory."
◉ What is Labov 1963 about?
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND CORRECT
ANSWERS
◉ Which of the following CAN'T be described by an s-curve?
1) the diffusion of a sound change through the words a speaker
knows
2) the diffusion of a disease through a community
3) the diffusion of a sound change through the speakers of a
language
4) the diffusion of pollution in a body of water
Answer: 4) the diffusion of pollution in a body of water
◉ (T/F) Once a change begins in a language, it can't be stopped.
Answer: False
,◉ (T/F) If a sound change happened in English such that all
instances of "th" became pronounced as "d," the word "that" would
be pronounced as "dat" before the word "thereby" was pronounced
as "dereby."
Answer: True
◉ The language of Napkinish is experiencing a change. Speakers,
starting in the city of Forktown, have stopped using the "-ippa" suffix
in the past tense. In Forktown, the words "tullippa," "loppippa," and
"bonippa" are all now pronounced as "tull," "lopp," and "bon" in the
past tense. In the town of Spoonville thirty miles away, "tullippa" is
pronounced as "tull," and "bonippa" is pronounced as "bon," but
"loppippa" must still be pronounced "loppippa." Bowlville is another
town sixty miles away from Forktown on the other side of
Spoonville. (You have to drive through Spoonville to get to Bowlville
in fact.) What must be true in Bowlville?
The people in Bowlville definitely do NOT say "lopp" instead of
"loppippa."
The people in Bowlville definitely say "lopp" instead of "loppippa."
The people in Bowlville definitely say "bon" instead of "bonippa."
The language change definitely hasn't reached Bowlville.
Answer: The people in Bowlville definitely do NOT say "lopp"
instead of "loppippa."
, ◉ (T/F) An isogloss is a line between two dialects.
Answer: False
◉ It has become common in some varieties of English recently to say
"las" instead of "last" (as in: "He came in las"). Which of the
following is true of this change?
Answer: It is the result of a predictable change whereby speakers
reduce the markedness of the language.
◉ What does the Benrath Line mark?
Answer: Whether speakers of German say "k" or "ch" on words such
as "ich" and "machen."
◉ (T/F) If speakers of a variety are unsure about a linguistic feature
(ex: they can't quite decide if the plural of "cactus" is "cacti" or
"cactuses"), it's probably because that linguistic feature is in the
process of changing.
Answer: True
◉ Why do most speakers of American English pronounce "cursory"
with three syllables and "every" with two syllables?
Answer: "Every" is a more common word than "cursory."
◉ What is Labov 1963 about?
