Chapter 5 Practice Questions
Complete the following analogy: Argentina is to Spanish as a. Brazil is to Portuguese. b. Belize is to Portuguese. c. Guyana is to Spanish. d. Suriname is to French. e. Panama is to English.
Brazil is to Portuguese Explanation: Portuguese is the predominant language of Brazil just as Spanish is spoken in Argentina.
Which one of these languages is found in the North Germanic Language Group? a. Danish b. English c. Frisian d. German e. Netherlandish (Dutch)
Danish Explanation: The rest of the languages are in the West Germanic Language Group.
The oldest roots of the English language have been traced back to present-day a.Belgium b. Canada c. Denmark d. Iceland e. Netherlands
Denmark Explanation: Angles, Jutes, and Saxons invaded England from the their homes on the Danish peninsula.
Complete the following analogy: southern Europe is to Romance as a. southwestern Europe is to Iberian b. eastern Europe is to West Germanic c. eastern Europe is to Balto-Slavic d. southeast Europe is to Greek e. northern Europe is to Celtic
Eastern Europe is to Balto-Slavic Explanation: Romance languages predominate in southern Europe as Balto-Slavic languages do in eastern Europe.
Globally, today's predominant lingua franca is a. Swahili b. Pidgin c. Creole d. French e. English
English Explanation: In part due to Britain's colonial legacy, English is the world's most popular lingua franca.
Which of these languages is not one of Switzerland's four official languages? a. English b. German c. Italian d. French e. Romansh
English Explanation: There may be a substantial amount of people in Switzerland who can speak English, but it is not one of their official languages.
Which of the following is not a Romance language? a. French b. German c. Italian d. Portuguese e. Spanish
German Explanation: Germanic languages predominate in northern and central Europe.
Which of the following will encompass the largest number of speakers? a. Language family b. Language branch c. Individual language d. Dialect e. Language group
Language family Explanation: The categories are organized hierarchically: family, branch, group, language, and dialect.
Complete the following analogy: Hindi is to India as a. Austrian is to Austria. b. Celtic is to Denmark. c. Mandarin is to China. d. Russian is to Ukraine. e. Spanish is to the Philippines.
Mandarin is to China Explanation: Hindi is the most spoken language in India as is Mandarin in China.
The relocation of the Nigerian capital from Lagos to Abuja a. reflects tensions between rival groups. b. reflects a cultural preference for inland sites. c. was a direct order from the United Nations. d. was undertaken to promote economic development. e. the capital has not been relocated.
Reflects tensions between rival groups
In both the Kurgan and Anatolian theories of Indo-European, the language family spread via __________ diffusion. a. contagious b. expansion c. hierarchical d. relocation e. stimulus
Relocation
A creolized language is a local language mixed with a. another local language. b. at least 20 percent slang. c. the language of a colonial power. d. English. e. French.
The language of a colonial power Explanation: Creole languages develop due to the interchange of indigenous language(s) and the colonizer's language.
