What is meant by the term ‘Connotation’?
(a) The relationship between a word and the non-linguistic, ‘outside’ world.
(b) Additional meaning which arises due to the associations a word has.
(c) Any two (or more) words which are written the same, though thepronunciation may be different,e.g.
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: Additional meaning which arises due to the associations a word has.
Semantics is:
(a) The study of the sound system of a language or languages.
(b) The study of meaning in language.
(c) The study of the structure of language without any concern for practical applications which might arise from one’s work.
(d) The study of human sounds.
Question’s Answer: The study of meaning in language.
What is meant by the term ‘Denotation”?
(a) The relationship between a word and the non-linguistic, ‘outside’ world.
(b) For instance one could say that the denotation of cup is a small vessel-like object for holding beverages.
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
‘Homograph’ means:
(a) Any set of words which share their form but have different meanings, e.g.
(b) Any two (or more) words which are written the same, though the pronunciation may be different, e.g. lead, a verb, and lead, a noun.
(c) The study of language in use in interpersonal communication.
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: Any two (or more) words which are written the same, though the pronunciation may be different,
e.g. lead, a verb, and lead, a noun.
‘Homonym’ means:
(a) Any set of words which share their form but have different meanings, e.g. bar ‘legal profession’ and bar ‘public house’.
(b) The formal similarity is an accident of phonological development and the forms do not share a common historical root, contrast this situation with that of polysemy.
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
Meaning, sentence’ is:
(a) A further type of meaning in which the sentence structure together with lexical and grammatical meaning determines what is meant.
(b) For instance the sentence role of a noun as subject or object issignificant in determining the meaning of an entire sentence.
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
Indirect speech act’ means:”
(a) Any utterance where there is a discrepancy between literal and intended meaning, e.g.
(b) It’s cold in here said in a room with the window open in winter where the intention of the speech act would be to have the window closed.
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
What is meant by the term “Quantifier”?
(a) A term used to describe a pidgin after it has become the mother tongue of a certain population.
(b) A term applied to the new information conveyed in a sentence.
(c) Any term which serves to indicate an amount such as all, some, a few, or the set of numerals in a language.
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: Any term which serves to indicate an amount such as all, some, a few, or the set of
numerals in a language.
‘Lexical meaning’ is:
(a) The meaning of a word which is specifiable independently of other words
(b) Ultimately with reference to the non-linguistic world
(c) Which is independent of the grammar of the language.
(d) All of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: All of A, B, and C
Meaning, lexical’ is:
(a) A type of meaning which is specifiable independently of other words or of grammatical context.
(b) The lexical meaning of table is ‘a piece of furniture with a horizontal surface designed to be sat at’
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
Meaning, grammatical’ is:
(a) A type of meaning which is determined by the grammatical context in which a form occurs.
(b) Typical elements with grammatical meaning prepositions, articles are or conjunctions.
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
What is meant by the term ‘Presupposition’?
(a) Any information which is taken for granted in a discourse situation
(b) For instance the sentence Did you enjoy your breakfast? assumes that the interlocutor already had breakfast
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
What is meant by the term ‘Theme’?
(a) A term applied to the new information conveyed in a sentence.
(b) That part of a sentence which is the focus of interest and usually introduced at the beginning.
(c) A reference to any linguistic form which is the most general and least specific of its kind.
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: That part of a sentence which is the focus of interest and usually introduced at the beginning.
Meaning, utterance’ is:
(a) A kind of meaning which refers to the context in which a sentence is spoken and where the latter determines what is actually meant
(b) For instance the sentence It’s draughty in here can be taken to have utterance meaning as a request to close a window or door
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
Speech act’ means:
(a) The act of speaking with another individual.
(b) This has become a discipline in its own right since the pioneering work of Austin in the early 1960’s.
(c) It was put on a firm linguistic footing by Searle at the end of the decade and has. since become part of the standard repertoire of all linguists.
(d) All of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: All of A, B, and C
What is meant by the term ‘Rheme’?
(a) A reference to any linguistic form which is the most general and least specific of its kind.
(b) That part of a sentence which is the focus of interest and usually introduced at the beginning.
(c) A term applied to the new information conveyed in a sentence.
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: A term applied to the new information conveyed in a sentence.
‘Semantics’ is:
(a) The study of meaning in language. This is an independent level and has several subtypes
(b) Such as word, grammatical, sentence and utterance meaning.
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
Sense relations’ is:
(a) Additional meaning which arises due to the associations a word has.
(b) A term used to describe a pidgin after it has become the mother tongue of a certain population.
(c) The semantic relationships which obtain between words as opposed to those which hold between words and the outside world.
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: The semantic relationships which obtain between words as opposed to those which hold between
words and the outside world.
What is meant by the term ‘Semantic field’?
(a) A collective term for sets of meanings which are taken to belong together, e.g. colour,furniture, food, clothes.
(b) Most of the vocabulary of any language is organised into such fields, i.e.
(c) There are few if any words which are semantically isolated.
(d) All of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: All of A, B, and C
Signifiant means:
(a) A linguistic item which,signifies something; contrasts with signifié which is what is signified.
(b) The term derives from Ferdinand de Saussure.
(c) a & b
(d) None of A, B, and C
Question’s Answer: a & b
The structural differential refers to:
(a) Time-binding
(b) Order of abstraction
(c) Engineering
(d) Linguistics
Question’s Answer: Order of abstraction
The self-reflexive aspect of language means:
(a) The clever use of language
(b) The limitations of words being used to explain other words
(c) The dictionary as the absolute arbiter of meaning
(d) The uselessness of language
Question’s Answer: The limitations of words being used to explain other words
A baseball umpire who has stupass away general-semantics would probably say:
(a) Until I call ’em they ain’t
(b) I call ’em as they are
(c) I call ’em as I see ’em
(d) The umpire is always right
Question’s Answer: Until I call ’em they ain’t
All these are examples of pre- scientific systems of meaning except:
(a) Primitivism
(b) Absolutism
(c) Multiordinality
(d) Magic
Question’s Answer: Multiordinality
All these are examples of extensional devices except:
(a) Stereotyping
(b) etc.
(c) Indexing
(d) Dating
Question’s Answer: Stereotyping
Meaning is in:
(a) Words
(b) Situations
(c) People
(d) School
Question’s Answer: People
The word “general” in general-semantics refers to:
(a) being the most useful semantic theory
(b) Including all the languages of the world
(c) Including all semantic theories
(d) Not being limited only to language
Question’s Answer: Not being limited only to language
The pioneer work in general-semantics is:
(a) Science and Sanity
(b) Language Habits in Human Affairs
(c) Language in Thought and Action
(d) The Use and Misuse of Language
Question’s Answer: Science and Sanity
Time-binding is defined as:
(a) A general theory of history
(b) An analysis of how man structures his time
(c) Man’s ability to pass on knowledge to future generations
(d) Man’s rush to accomplish things
Question’s Answer: Man’s ability to pass on knowledge to future generations
Korzybski regarded general-semantics as a(n):
(a) Linguistic discipline
(b) Engineering discipline
(c) Educational discipline
(d) Religion
Question’s Answer: Educational discipline
A major difficulty with the Aristotelian approach to language is:
(a) Its poor grammar
(b) Its Greek translation
(c) Its two-valued orientation
(d) Its weak lexicography
Question’s Answer: Its two-valued orientation
The principle of non-identity postulates that:
(a) People do not have identities
(b) No two objects are exactly identical
(c) It is better for people to not develop identities
(d) There is no such thing as identity
Question’s Answer: No two objects are exactly identical
we abstract we:
(a) Communicate more completely
(b) Increase human knowledge
(c) Leave characteristics out
(d) Violate semantic theory
Question’s Answer: Leave characteristics out
The following are all semantic assumptions underlying the scientific method of the twentieth century except:
(a) The universe “is” a verb
(b) The map equals the territory
(c) A fact is a rapidly aging event
(d) The map is not the territory
Question’s Answer: The map equals the territory
The following are all principles of perception except:
(a) We tend to see what suits our purposes at the time
(b) We tend to see what we expect to see
(c) We tend to see all that is in our environment
(d) We tend to see what our background has prepared us to see
Question’s Answer: We tend to see all that is in our environment
A person’s semantic reaction is:
(a) One’s ability to classify his language
(b) One’s verbal reaction on different levels
(c) One’s complete reaction as a complicated human being
(d) One’s ability to understand general-semantics
Question’s Answer: One’s complete reaction as a complicated human being
Elementalism is:
(a) Starting with the simple premises first
(b) Describing only obvious characteristics
(c) The building block of general-semantics
(d) Our tendency to let words make us think of things in isolation
Question’s Answer: Our tendency to let words make us think of things in isolation
Korzybski believed most people were:
(a) Sane
(b) Insane
(c) Unsane
(d) Hopelessly confused
Question’s Answer: Unsane
The closest level on the structural differential to process reality would be:
(a) The atomic level
(b) The descriptive level
(c) The abstract level
(d) The object level
Question’s Answer: The atomic level
An example of how words use us is:
(a) Describing an experiment
(b) Doing arithmetic
(c) Asking for directions
(d) Thinking happiness is an operational definition
Question’s Answer: Thinking happiness is an operational definition
The purpose of the structural differential is to:
(a) Explain engineering terms in lay language
(b) Help people understand the relationships among levels of abstraction
(c) Exemplify the meaninglessness of language
(d) Show that there is a true reality
Question’s Answer: Help people understand the relationships among levels of abstraction
General semantics has been shown to be effective in all these areas except:
(a) Stopping wars
(b) Increasing creativity
(c) Increasing critical thinking
(d) Decreasing prejudice
Question’s Answer: Stopping wars
According to Korzybski, general-semantics can be learned:
(a) Only by college students
(b) Only by those who first study linguistics
(c) Only by those who have read Science and Sanity
(d) Quite easily by children
Question’s Answer: Quite easily by children
General semantics is most based on the principles of:
(a) Engineering
(b) Education
(c) Linguistics
(d) Science
Question’s Answer: Science
General semantics postulates that:
(a) Language can never approximate “reality”
(b) Language should bear close correspondence to “reality”
(c) It is futile to describe “reality”
(d) There is no “reality”
Question’s Answer: Language should bear close correspondence to “reality”
The “natural” order of abstracting involves:
(a) A chaotic view of evaluation
(b) Opinions should precede facts
(c) Non-verbal experiences TO descriptions to inferences
(d) Something beyond human capacity
Question’s Answer: Non-verbal experiences TO descriptions to inferences
Examples of intensional thinking are most likely found in:
(a) Physics text
(b) sNovels
(c) Subpoenas
(d) Arithmetic books
Question’s Answer: Novels
“Projection” refers to the way:
(a) We transfer our own feelings and evaluation to objects of us
(b) Certain objects project universal characteristics
(c) We use semantics to understand “reality”
(d) Certain objects are universally defined
Question’s Answer: We transfer our own feelings and evaluation to objects of us
IFD disease refers to:
(a) An extensional outlook
(b) A biological virus
(c) Idealization, leading to frustration, to demoralization
(d) A chronic condition that can’t be remepass away
Question’s Answer: Idealization, leading to frustration, to demoralization
Twentieth century science deals mainly with:
(a) Circular reasoning
(b) Operational definitions
(c) The universe as a noun
(d) Universal absolutes
Question’s Answer: Operational definitions
Korzybski wrote about the concept of “logical fate” which means:
(a) Fate is a rational enterprise
(b) The universe is a logical place
(c) Particular consequences flow from particular assumptions
(d) Everything can be discovered
Question’s Answer: Particular consequences flow from particular assumptions
E-prime is a way to:
(a) Analyze prime numbers
(b) Study words that contain the letter “e”
(c) uses of the verb “to be”
(d) Remember the slogan “E for Effort”
Question’s Answer: uses of the verb “to be”
Which is not a general-semantics-term?
(a) Law of the excluded middle
(b) Structure
(c) Order
(d) Relations
Question’s Answer: Law of the excluded middle
The use of the word “etc.” from a general-semantics viewpoint is an example of:
(a) Sloppy English
(b) Non-allness
(c) Lazy thinking
(d) The futility of language
Question’s Answer: Non-allness
The formulation that terms can be assigned different meaning depending on level of abstraction is known as:
(a) Multiordinality
(b) Undefined terms
(c) Organism as a whole in environments
(d) Paradoxical intention
Question’s Answer: Multiordinality
Terms that are described mostly by intension without reference to facts are known as:
(a) Over/under defined
(b) Dated
(c) Indexed
(d) Variables
Question’s Answer: Over/under defined
Two-valued maps are:
(a) Useful at times
(b) Non-Aristotelian
(c) Multiordinal
(d) Useless
Question’s Answer: Useful at times
Symbol reactions are:
(a) Automatic
(b) Delayed
(c) Impulsive
(d) Undifferentiating
Question’s Answer: Delayed
General Semanticists believe that:
(a) Similarities are more important than differences
(b) Language is not important
(c) Human evaluating involves uncertainty
(d) The word “all” should never be used
Question’s Answer: Human evaluating involves uncertainty
An example of a “useless” question is:
(a) Why are people so unkind?
(b) What would you like to do today?
(c) Why didn’t you wait for me?
(d) Where can I learn to swim?
Question’s Answer: Why are people so unkind?