LING 115 Midterm (1) with correct
answers 100% 2026
Mutual Intelligibility Hypothesis (MIH) - Correct Answers If speakers of two varieties of language
A and B can understand each other when they speak, then A and B can be considered to be
varieties of a single language C.
If speakers of a variety A and B cannot understand each other when they speak, then A and B
cannot be considered to be varieties of a single language C, and therefore must be independent
languages A and B (or varieties of independent languages)
Examples of languages supporting the MIH - Correct Answers English
Examples of languages NOT supporting MIH - Correct Answers 1. Danish, Swedish and
Norwegian (mutually intelligible)
2. Egyptian Arabic and Moroccan Arabic
3. Mandarin, Cantonese and Shanghainese (not mutually intelligible)
Dialect - Correct Answers a variety of a language which has certain differences in grammar from
the standard language to which it is related, as well as differences in pronunciation and
vocabulary
"a language is a dialect with an army and a navy"
"every language has dialects but not every dialect is a language"
Example of dialects that are formally considered a language - Correct Answers Hindi/Urdu
, Example of a language that is considered formally a dialect - Correct Answers Chinese is one
language but is made up of Mandarin, Cantonese and Taiwanese
German/Swiss German
What does the term "variety" mean when describing language? - Correct Answers The umbrella
term for dialect, idioterm etc.
True or False: Everyone in a diglossic situation is bilingual - Correct Answers False
True or False: Everyone who code switches is bilingual - Correct Answers True
Diglossia (definition) - Correct Answers A. Two distinct varieties of the same language are used
in a community, with one regarded as high (H) variety and the other a low (L) variety
B. Each variety is used for quite distinct functions: H and L are in "complementary distribution"
they complement each other
C. No one uses the H variety in everyday informal conversation (H is taught in schools and used
for business)
D. The low variety is the form of language everyone learns first when they are young, learned
and acquired at home
Properties of diglossia - Correct Answers E. There are often no dictionaries of the L variety and
little literature
F. Words in the H variety seem to be more complex
answers 100% 2026
Mutual Intelligibility Hypothesis (MIH) - Correct Answers If speakers of two varieties of language
A and B can understand each other when they speak, then A and B can be considered to be
varieties of a single language C.
If speakers of a variety A and B cannot understand each other when they speak, then A and B
cannot be considered to be varieties of a single language C, and therefore must be independent
languages A and B (or varieties of independent languages)
Examples of languages supporting the MIH - Correct Answers English
Examples of languages NOT supporting MIH - Correct Answers 1. Danish, Swedish and
Norwegian (mutually intelligible)
2. Egyptian Arabic and Moroccan Arabic
3. Mandarin, Cantonese and Shanghainese (not mutually intelligible)
Dialect - Correct Answers a variety of a language which has certain differences in grammar from
the standard language to which it is related, as well as differences in pronunciation and
vocabulary
"a language is a dialect with an army and a navy"
"every language has dialects but not every dialect is a language"
Example of dialects that are formally considered a language - Correct Answers Hindi/Urdu
, Example of a language that is considered formally a dialect - Correct Answers Chinese is one
language but is made up of Mandarin, Cantonese and Taiwanese
German/Swiss German
What does the term "variety" mean when describing language? - Correct Answers The umbrella
term for dialect, idioterm etc.
True or False: Everyone in a diglossic situation is bilingual - Correct Answers False
True or False: Everyone who code switches is bilingual - Correct Answers True
Diglossia (definition) - Correct Answers A. Two distinct varieties of the same language are used
in a community, with one regarded as high (H) variety and the other a low (L) variety
B. Each variety is used for quite distinct functions: H and L are in "complementary distribution"
they complement each other
C. No one uses the H variety in everyday informal conversation (H is taught in schools and used
for business)
D. The low variety is the form of language everyone learns first when they are young, learned
and acquired at home
Properties of diglossia - Correct Answers E. There are often no dictionaries of the L variety and
little literature
F. Words in the H variety seem to be more complex
