BEST COLLEGE KHARIAN Mid Term

Spring-2020

Program: M.A Course Name: General Linguistics Name: ______________

English
Time: 15 Min Marks: 10 Roll No. ______________

Question No.1:. Four possible answers A, B, C and D to each question are given
below.Write answers to these questions on paper.
i. The forms of human language are inherently:

a) Arbitrary b) Contradictory c) Predatory d) None of them

ii. Language is the expression of thought by means of _____________.

a) Speech organ b) Speech sound c) Words d) Sentences

iii. _______ is a characteristic of human language which means that human language consists of two
sub-systems, which are sound and meaning.

a) Duality b) Displacement c) Arbitrariness d) None of them

iv. With the help of language, man is perfectly capable of referring to past and future time as well as
to the locations. This property of human language is called ____________.

a) Arbitrariness b) Displacement c) Duality d) Discreteness

v. According to Edward Sapir “Language is ____________ method of communicating ideas.”

a) Descriptive b) Non-instinctive c) Instinctive d) Prescriptive

vi. The children were reported to have uttered the Phrygian word “bekos” which means:

a) Milk b) Sugar c) Bread d) None of these

vii. ______ means that the basic units of speech (such as sounds) can be categorized as belonging to
distinct categories.

a) Productivity b) Cultural Transmission c) Duality d) Discreteness

viii. Which of these is not a level of Language/Linguistics?

a) Semantics b) Morphology c) Entomology d) Etymology

ix. ________ means that human languages allow speakers to create novel, never-before-heard
utterances that others can understand.

a) Productivity b) Arbitrariness c) Descriptive d) Prescriptive

x. Noam Chomsky is a/an _______ Linguist.

a) British b) American c) Spanish d) French

Question No. 2: Write short answers of the following questions. (4x5=20)

BEST COLLEGE KHARIAN Mid Term

Spring-2020

Program: M.A Course Name: General Linguistics Name: ______________

English
Time: 1 Hour 15 Min Marks: 20 Roll No. ____________
i. Define Language and its properties.
ii. How language originated? Elucidate it with reference to theories in brief.
iii. Write a note on Non-Verbal Communication.
iv. Why is the study of Language important?