1 Languages change very rapidly compared to complex biological species such as primates.
A O1
O1 True
R1
O2 False
R2 See p.000.
2 Languages change is not constant, but varies within certain limits.
A O1
O1 True
R1
O2 False
R2 See p.000.
3 Which of the following is not a type of sound change?
A O6
O1 assimilation
R1 This is indeed a type of sound change: see p.000.
O2 dissimilation
R2 This is indeed a type of sound change: see p.000.
O3 deletion
R3 This is indeed a type of sound change: see p.000.
O4 insertion
R4 This is indeed a type of sound change: see p.000.
O5 metathesis
R5 This is indeed a type of sound change: see p.000.
O6 bleaching
R6
4 Which of the sound changes in the following changes is not an example of assimilation? (Forms are given in IPA.)
A O1
O1 maror > marol
R1
O2 bimp > bimb
R2 No. This is progressive assimilation in voicing of the final consonant.
O3 singa > siŋga
R3 No. This is regressive assimilation of place of articulation of the nasal.
O4 bapa > baba
R4 No. This is assimilation of voicing of the intervocalic stop conditioned by the surrounding vowels.
5 The sound change k > t in skama > stama is an example of regressive assimilation.
A O2
O1 True
R1 No, the assimilation is progressive.
O2 False
R2
6 According to Grimm's law, proto-Indo-European voiceless stops became voiceless fricatives in Germanic. Is this particular change an example of a chain shift?
A O2
O1 Yes
R1 No, Grimm's law involves chain shift, though this particular change is not itself a chain shift. Read p.000 again.
O2 No
R2
7 Which of the following is an example of metathesis? (Forms are given in IPA.)
A O1
O1 aks > ask
R1
O2 aks > akas
R2 See p.000 on metathesis.
O3 aks > akχ
R3 See p.000 on metathesis.
O4 aks > ats
R4 See p.000 on metathesis.
O5 aks > ak
R5 See p.000 on metathesis.
8 Which of the following is an example of assimilation? (Forms are given in IPA.)
A O4
O1 film > fiml
R1 See p.000 on assimilation.
O2 film > firm
R2 See p.000 on assimilation.
O3 film > filəm
R3 See p.000 on assimilation.
O4 film > filn
R4
O5 film > fim
R5 See p.000 on assimilation.
9 Only free morphemes can be borrowed.
A O2
O1 True
R1 See p.000.
O2 False
R2
10 Which of the following hypothetical changes in English plural forms would be an example of an analogical levelling?
A O2
O1 kæts > kætn̩
R1 See p.000 on analogical levelling.
O2 mɛn > mænz
R2
O3 bændz > bɛnd
R3 See p.000 on analogical levelling.
O4 dɔgz > dɔks
R4 See p.000 on analogical levelling.
11 The humorous plural spice of the singular spouse illustrates which sort of morphological change?
A O2
O1 analogical levelling
R1 This is not analogical levelling: see p.000.
O2 analogical extension
R2
O3 reanalysis
R3 This is not reanalysis: see p.000.
O4 grammaticalization
R4 This is not grammaticalization — and in any case grammaticalization is not restricted to a single morphological change. See p.000.
12 Word order patterns are too abstract to be borrowed.
A O2
O1 True
R1 There is evidence of borrowing of word order patterns in some parts of the world, as discussed on p.000.
O2 False
R2
13 In a certain language we find that what used to be a reflexive construction a century ago is now used also to express reciprocal meanings (i.e. acting on one another). Which of the following processes does this illustrate?
A O2
O1 borrowing
R1 See p.000.
O2 extension
R2
O3 reanalysis
R3 See p.000.
O4 dissimilation
R4 See p.000.
14 If a grammatical structure or construction is borrowed from one language to another, the grammatical morphemes marking it in the source language will always be translated into the borrowing language.
A O2
O1 True
R1 Not necessarily: see examples (16-11) and (16-12) on p.000.
O2 False
R2
15 Which of the following processes does not normally happen to a morpheme when it undergoes grammaticalization?
A O2
O1 semantic bleaching
R1 This typically happens in grammaticalization: see p.000.
O2 concretisation of meaning
R2
O3 phonological reduction
R3 This typically happens in grammaticalization: see p.000.
16 Which of the following pair of changes is the more likely?
A O1
O1 change from verb to preposition
R1
O2 change from preposition to verb
R2 Read §16.5 again.
17 Which of the following types of marker is the most likely for be going to to grammaticalize into?
A O3
O1 a marker of present tense
R1 No, this would involve a change of meaning from the current meaning of be going to, rather than bleaching of its meaning.
O2 a marker of past tense
R2 No, this would involve a change of meaning from the current meaning of be going to, rather than bleaching of its meaning.
O3 a marker of future tense
R3
O4 a marker of continuous aspect
R4 No, this would involve a change of meaning from the current meaning of be going to, rather than bleaching of its meaning.
18 Is pejoration the process by which a word takes on a more positive connotation?
A O2
O1 Yes
R1 Read p.000 again.
O2 No
R2
19 A change in the meaning of a verb from 'hit' to 'kill' is an example of which sort of semantic change?
A O2
O1 pejoration
R1 See p.000.
O2 understatement
R2
O3 bleaching
R3 See p.000.
O4 elevation
R4 See p.000.
O5 hyperbole
R5 See p.000.
20 A change in meaning from ‘left hand’ to ‘evil’ illustrates which of the following types of semantic change?
A O1
O1 pejoration
R1
O2 understatement
R2 See p.000.
O3 bleaching
R3 See p.000.
O4 elevation
R4 See p.000.
O5 hyperbole
R5 See p.000.
21 Which of the following is the least likely or poorest explanation for a sound change from [ng] to[ŋ]?
A O1
O1 laziness
R1
O2 economising of articulatory gestures
R2 No, this is the better of the two explanations: see p.000.
22 There is a tendency for grammatical systems to change so as to become (more) symmetrical, filling in gaps in paradigms.
A O1
O1 True
R1
O2 False
R2 No, this is so: the process is called regularization. See p.000.
23 The replacement of the pronoun /ŋaju/ 'I' by /mi:/ in a language because of its phonological similarity to the name of a deceased person is an example of what type of change:
A O3
O1 semantic bleacing
R1 See p.000.
O2 regularisation
R2 See p.000.
O3 taboo replacement
R3
O4 pejoration
R4 See p.000.
O5 foreign influence
R5 See p.000.