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Language families

Quiz by thomas Lavelle

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27 questions
Show answers
  • Q1
    A proto language is
    an endangered language
    an early language that many other languages are based on
    an artificial language
    60s
  • Q2
    A protolanguage can sometimes be identified by
    the similarity of grammar
    the current languages
    a historically known language, like Latin
    60s
  • Q3
    We call the the language that may have been the very first language of much of the Western world
    Proto Indo European Language
    Chino- Australian Langiage
    Russo-Slovak Langiage
    60s
  • Q4
    Some languages , like Latin are easily traced back. for example , we know that Italian came from Latin because
    the word for water is exactly the same
    Latin was written down
    Latin is still spoken in Italy today
    60s
  • Q5
    The _____________________________ helped spread Latin throughout Europe
    Roman Conquests
    The Crusades
    Bubonic plague
    60s
  • Q6
    English belongs to the ______________________ family of Languages
    Latin
    Germanic
    Hispanic
    60s
  • Q7
    How do linguists find out which family a language belongs to if it is not written down?
    They just skip that language
    they just take a guess
    the language is grouped by geography
    60s
  • Q8
    What does it mean for a language to be related?
    They are spoken in the same country
    They evolved from the same older language
    They are written in the same alphabet
    60s
  • Q9
    Which of these words are most likely to be borrowed from another language?
    Words for family members.
    Pronouns
    Words for plants and animals
    60s
  • Q10
    What is the difference between a a language and a dialect?
    There is no definite cutoff point but a dialect is usually spoken by a smaller group only in a certain area of the country
    Dialects can be understood only by the mainstream culture
    A language must have official status in a country but a dialect does not have too.
    60s
  • Q11
    What is NOT a reason for linguistic divergence ( differences)
    Migration and encountering different groups and environments
    Political and historical events
    Different brain structure amomg different groups of people.
    60s
  • Q12
    Why is it not possible to give an exact number for how many languages there are?
    we dont know what is a language and what is a dialect
    it often depends on who's counting
    We can find them all
    60s
  • Q13
    Why is it so difficult to trace a language back to a certain early language?
    The farther you go back in time , the less evidence there is of that language
    No one is interested in going back that far
    what does it matter ? No one speaks those ancient languages anymore.
    60s
  • Q14
    Linguist have definately proven that there was one language that all other languages came from.
    False
    True
    60s
  • Q15
    Approximately how many languages are there?
    about 10, 000 or so
    about 5000 or so
    about 7000 or so
    60s

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