Final – Introduction to Language (Spring 2023)

Email(Required)

I. The Lexicon

Based on chapters 24 and 26 in Crystal (2010) and John McWhorter’s article on slang.

1. David Crystal cites an "old rhyme" that asserts "the chief use of slang / is to show you're one of the gang." According to Crystal, this means:(Required)

only gang members use slang

membership in a gang is contingent upon one’s using slang

people who share a common interest or background will use a shared slang

slang is used to signal that one is a criminal

2. Give two words whose meanings have changed over time. These may be examples from Crystal's chapter, or from your own knowledge. Mention their original meaning and describe how their meaning changed over time.(Required)

3. According to John McWhorter, "syndicating" was cited by Zora Neale Hurston as a phrase used in 1930s Black slang with the following meaning:(Required)

gossipping

falling in love

opening up a franchise of a store

fighting

4. David Crystal lists a number of food words that English borrowed from other languages, including "sushi," "yoghurt," and "spaghetti." Why might these have arrived as loanwords, and why might their meanings have been resistant to changing?(Required)

5. Etymology is chiefly concerned with:(Required)

insects

the origins of words

slang

syntax

II. Morphology & Syntax

Based on chapter 6 in Crystal (2010), chapter 4 in Language Files, and chapters 11 and 12 in Rickerson & Hilton (2007).

6. Identify the morphemes in each the following words: glass, glasses, glassblower, sunglasses.(Required)

For example, if I had asked you to identify the morphemes in applesauce, as I did on a previous quiz, the correct answer would be “There are two morphemes in applesauce: apple and sauce.”

7. Which of the following words contains a bound root?(Required)

oaken

globally

unbelievable

transmit

8. What are two different ways to express the future tense in English? Include example sentences.(Required)

9. How many free morphemes are there in the word "astronaut"?(Required)

zero

one

two

10. What does Mark C. Baker mean by "universal grammar"?(Required)

III. Language Change, Endangerment, & Revitalization

Based on chapters 4, 5, 7, and 49 in Rickerson & Hilton (2007) and chapters 20 and 21 in Crystal (2010).

11. What are some of the changes that have taken place in English from Shakespeare's time to now? Give two examples.(Required)

12. Which of the following are part of the Indo-European language family?(Required)

Check all that apply.

Basque

Finnish

English

Cherokee

Greek

Albanian

13. What does it mean for a language to be endangered?(Required)

14. David Crystal writes that "a language dies when the last person who speaks it dies." John McWhorter, on the other hand, says that Latin never really died. Why?(Required)

Because Latin is still used as a liturgical language in the Roman Catholic Church.

Because it serves as the source of many neologisms in English and other European languages.

Because it gradually evolved into French, Spanish, Italian, and other languages spoken today.

Because Latin was never actually a spoken language, and only existed in writing.

15. Many linguists have bemoaned the endangerment and extinction of so many languages. For many, the reasons to fight against language loss are self-evident. But if you had to convince someone to care about this issue, what might you say? You can refer to the arguments of Marianne Mithun and other readings from this class, but be sure to cite them in your response if you do so.(Required)