Linguistic Diversity and Language Variation Quiz

Test your knowledge on linguistic diversity, language change, and sociolinguistic theories with our quiz on language variation!

#1

Which term refers to the study of how languages change over time?

Syntax
Semantics
Phonetics
Historical linguistics
#2

What is the term for the distinct varieties of a language that result from geographical or social differences?

Dialects
Pronunciation
Accent
Slang
#3

What linguistic term refers to the rules governing how words are formed from morphemes?

Syntax
Phonology
Morphology
Pragmatics
#4

Which linguistic concept refers to the process of adding new words to a language?

Language attrition
Language borrowing
Language revival
Language standardization
#5

Which linguistic field focuses on the sounds of speech, including their production, transmission, and reception?

Phonology
Syntax
Pragmatics
Semantics
#6

What linguistic term refers to the study of the structure of words and word formation?

Syntax
Semantics
Morphology
Pragmatics
#7

What is the term for a word or phrase that has the same meaning as another word or phrase?

Synonym
Antonym
Homonym
Hyponym
#8

Which linguistic theory emphasizes the influence of societal factors on language variation and change?

Generative grammar
Sociolinguistics
Structuralism
Functional grammar
#9

What is the term for the phenomenon where speakers unconsciously adjust their language to be more similar to their conversation partner?

Code-switching
Language attrition
Diglossia
Language convergence
#10

What term describes the situation where a language ceases to be spoken over time?

Language death
Language evolution
Language acquisition
Language preservation
#11

Who proposed the theory of Universal Grammar, suggesting that humans are born with an innate knowledge of language structure?

Noam Chomsky
Ferdinand de Saussure
Edward Sapir
William Labov
#12

Which linguistic theory proposes that language is acquired through imitation, reinforcement, and conditioning?

Behaviorism
Universal Grammar
Cognitive Linguistics
Sociocultural theory
#13

Which linguistic concept refers to the gradual loss of a first language due to lack of use?

Language extinction
Language acquisition
Language attrition
Language planning
#14

What term describes the phenomenon where a speaker alternates between two or more languages within a single conversation?

Language extinction
Language convergence
Code-switching
Language attrition
#15

Which linguistic concept refers to the mixing of languages, often occurring in bilingual or multilingual communities?

Pidgin
Creole
Code-switching
Lingua franca
#16

What is the term for the phenomenon where a word's meaning shifts over time, often resulting in a weakening or broadening of its original sense?

Lexical ambiguity
Semantic change
Pragmatic drift
Etymological shift

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