UGC-NET (NTA) LINGUISTICS, AUGUST-2024

Total Questions: 100

51. Arrange the following surveys in chronological order: (older to newer)

(a) “Survey of English Dialects”—Harold Orton
(b) “German Dialects”—Georg Wenker
(c) “Linguistic Atlas of New England”—Hans Kurath et.al.
(d) “Danish Dialects”—Marius Kristensen
(e) “Linguistic Survey of France”—Jules Gillieron
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct Answer: C. (b), (c), (a), (e), (d)
Solution:

The chronological order of these surveys is as follows: (b) "German Dialects" by Georg Wenker (started in 1876) (e) "Linguistic Survey of France" by Jules Gillieron (published 1902-1910) (d) "Danish Dialects" by Marius Kristensen (early 20th century) (c) "Linguistic Atlas of New England" by Hans Kurath et al. (1939-1943) (a) "Survey of English Dialects" by Harold Orton (1950-1961) These surveys represent foundational works in dialectology, covering German, French, Danish, New England English, and British English dialects in historical sequence.

52. Arrange the following sets of consonants in sequential order based on their places of articulation (Back to Front):

(a) Palatal
(b) Retroflex
(c) Labial
(d) Dental
(e) Velar
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct Answer: C. (e), (a), (b), (c), (d)
Solution:

Arranged from back to front in terms of place of articulation: (e) Velar: Produced at the back of the mouth with the back of the tongue against the soft palate (e.g., /kl, /g/). (a) Palatal: Produced with the tongue against the hard palate (e.g., /J/, /3/). (b) Retroflex: Involves the tongue curling back to touch the area behind the alveolar ridge. (d) Dental: Produced with the tongue touching the upper teeth (e.g., /0/, /o/). (c) Labial: Produced with the use of the lips (e.g., /p/, /b/). This order correctly moves from the back to the front of the oral cavity.

53. Match the List-I with List-II

List-I (Concept)List-II (Explanation)
(a) Lexical ambiguityI. A possible but non-occuring word in a context
(b) Lexical categoryII. Multiple meanings of words in sentences
(c) Lexical gapIII. Word level syntactic categories
(d) Lexical paraphrasesIV. Sentences that have the same meaning due to synonyms

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct Answer: B.
Solution:

(a) Lexical ambiguity (II): Refers to a word having multiple meanings in different contexts.
(b) Lexical category (III): Refers to the syntactic class or part of speech of a word, such as noun, verb, or adjective.
(c) Lexical gap (I): Refers to a potential word that does not actually exist in a language but could logically occur.
(d) Lexical paraphrases (IV): Sentences with different wording but the same meaning due to synonyms.
These descriptions match each concept with its corresponding linguistic function.

54. A constraint in syntax which states that when a subordinate clause or noun phrase contains a specified subject, no other (nonsubject) constituent can be moved out of that clause is called:

Correct Answer: B. Specified-Subject Condition
Solution:

The Specified-Subject Condition is a syntactic constraint that states that if a subordinate clause or noun phrase has a specified subject, then no non-subject constituent can be moved out of that clause. This condition restricts certain syntactic transformations, such as wh-movement, within complex sentences, contributing to the hierarchical structure in syntax.

55. The hypothesis that says "the language we speak determines how we perceive and think about the world" is known as:

Correct Answer: C. Linguistic determinism
Solution:

Linguistic determinism is the hypothesis that language shapes thought, asserting that the structure and vocabulary of one's language influence how individuals perceive and interpret the world. This concept, associated with the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, suggests that language is not merely a tool for expressing thoughts but actively determines cognitive processes and worldview.

56. In typology, the study of the different ways in which languages signal which noun is modified by a given relative clause is called______.

Correct Answer: B. Recoverability
Solution:

In typology, recoverability refers to the study of different ways languages signal which noun is being modified by a relative clause. This involves strategies such as word order, case marking, and relative pronouns to ensure that the connection between a noun and its modifying clause is clear to the listener or reader.

57. Which of the following statements are TRUE about the various sense relations?

(a) In dictionaries, polysemous senses are listed under the same lexical entries while homonymous senses are given separate entries
(b) ‘Rich/poor’ are the examples of gradable antonyms whereas ‘dead/alive’ are the examples of complementary pairs
(c) ‘The boy saw the man with a telescope’ — is an example of lexical ambiguity
(d) Two sentences are synonymous if they entail each other
(e) Meronymy is a process used by speakers as part of their practice of referring, metonymy describes a classification scheme evidenced in the vocabulary
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct Answer: C. (a), (b) and (d) only
Solution:

(a) True: In dictionaries, polysemous meanings (related meanings of a word) are listed under the same lexical entry, while homonymous meanings (unrelated meanings that happen to share the same form) have separate entries.
(b) True: Rich/poor are gradable antonyms because they exist on a spectrum, while dead/alive are complementary pairs as they represent a binary state with no intermediate values.
(d) True: Two sentences are synonymous if they mutually entail each other, meaning that each sentence implies the truth of the other.
These statements correctly describe sense relations in semantics.

58. The Dravidian languages of India are generally considered to have _______ morphological properties.

Correct Answer: D. Agglutinative
Solution:

Dravidian languages are generally agglutinative in nature. In an agglutinative language, words are formed by stringing together morphemes, each representing a distinct grammatical function. This characteristic makes it possible to build complex words by attaching multiple suffixes, which is a key feature in languages like Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada.

59. The Amarakosa-a 4th C work of lexicography in Sanskrit-can be categorized as:

Correct Answer: C. A thesaurus
Solution:

The Amarakosa is an ancient Sanskrit thesaurus compiled in the 4th century by Amarasimha. It categorizes words and synonyms thematically, rather than alphabetically, providing a rich resource for Sanskrit vocabulary and is used as a reference for synonyms, names of deities, animals, and other categories.

60. In Optimality Theory, a component which creates a (potentially infinite) set of possible linguistic candidates whose faithfulness properties can be considered in relation to a particular input is called:

Correct Answer: A. Generator
Solution:

In Optimality Theory, the Generator (GEN) is a component that produces a set of possible linguistic candidates for a given input. GEN allows for the creation of an extensive, potentially infinite range of candidates, which are then evaluated based on constraints to determine the most optimal output. This process enables analysis of phonological, morphological, or syntactic variations.