LING 200 Homework 4
Due Friday, November 25
Name:
1. Which of the following statements is true?
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
Two languages are related if they have some similar-looking words.
Two languages are related if they come from the same proto-language.
Two languages are related if they are spoken in the same geographical area.
Two languages are related if they have borrowed many words from each other.
2. Similarities between two languages in the phonological form of specific words may be due
to
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
borrowing.
chance.
genetic relatedness.
all of the above.
3. Similarities between two languages in the phonological form of specific words may be used
in reconstructing proto-language forms if those similarities are due to
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
borrowing.
chance.
genetic relatedness.
all of the above.
4. Sound change is
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
sporadic.
regular.
a change in meaning.
better than no sound change.
5. The Comparative Method
(a) allows us to determine properties of a proto-language from a set of two or more daughter languages.
(b) allows us to compare languages.
(c) allows us to determine whether a proto-language is related to an existing language.
(d) allows us to determine various types of syntactic change.
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Sound Change Problem. The following (4) questions are based on the data from ProtoPolynesian and Maori below. Assume that Proto-Polynesian is the ancester of Maori.
Proto-Poly
*Puha
*hala
*kili
*rua
*lua
*manu
*Pau
*walu
*waru
*limu
*isu
*hama
*taPe
Maori
ua
ara
kiri
rua
rua
manu
au
waru
waru
rimu
ihu
ama
tae
gloss
rain
road
skin
two
vomit
bird
current
eight
scratch
moss
nose
outrigger
excrement
6. Which of the following is the best way to state one of the sound changes from ProtoPolynesian to Maori?
(a) *P > ∅ (was lost) at the beginnings of words.
(b) *P > ∅ at the beginnings and in the middle of words.
(c) *P > ∅.
(d) *P was inserted in Proto-Polynesian.
7. Which of the following is the best way to state one of the sound changes from ProtoPolynesian to Maori?
(a) *s > ∅ in the middle of words.
(b) *s > h in the middle of words.
(c) *h > s.
(d) *s > h.
8. Two other sound changes are:
(a) *r > l and *h > ∅
(b) *l > r and *h > ∅
(c) *r > l and *h > s
(d) *l > r and *s > P
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9. If sound changes may need to be ordered with respect to one another, the changes to *s and
*h:
(a) need to be ordered with *h > ∅ coming before *s > h.
(b) need to be ordered with *s > ∅ coming before *h > ∅.
(c) do not need to be ordered with respect to one another.
(d) both need to be ordered before *l > r.
10. The notions ‘change’ and ‘diffusion’ are
(a) inextricably intertwined
(b) not dependent upon one another
(c) synonymous
(d) only sociolinguistic notions
11. ‘Change’ can occur
(a) due to misanalysis of the input form.
(b) due to lack of information (never hearing a form)
(c) due to phonological misanalysis
(d) because of any of the above
12. ‘Diffusion’ of a change
(a) always occurs.
(b) rarely occurs.
(c) never occurs.
(d) may or may not occur depending upon sociolinguistic variables.
The next six questions concern the Comparative Jicaquean data in the table below. The
Jicaque and Tol languages are spoken in Honduras. Their reconstructed ancestor is known
as Proto-Jicaquean. In order to solve the problem, you must reconstruct Proto-Jicaquean
forms using the comparative method on the two languages listed.
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Jicaque
pe
pen
pit
kamba
kot
mut
arba
tek
tebe
mandI
kan
mon
kat
kan
kona
kun
ten
Tol
pe
pel
pis
kampa
Pos
mus
arpa
tek
tepe
mantI
kh an
mol
Pas
Pan
Pona
kh ul
th en
English
stone
flea
meat
far, long
I sit, I am
smoke
above
leg
he died
vulture
bed
cloud
blood
zapote (fruit)
sour
fish
boa constrictor
13. The voiced non-nasal stops (b, d) in the Jicaque data are from
(a) Proto-Jicaquean voiced stops (*b, *d).
(b) Proto-Jicaquean voiced fricatives, which have become stops between voiced segments.
(c) Proto-Jicaquean voiceless stops, which have become voiced stops between voiced segments.
(d) Proto-Jicaquean vowels.
14. Tol glottal stop is
(a) from Proto-Jicaquean *k.
(b) from Proto-Jicaquean *g.
(c) from Proto-Jicaquean *P, which has become k in Jicaque.
(d) voiced.
15. Tol s is from
(a) Proto-Jicaquean *s, which has become t in Jicaque
(b) Proto-Jicaquean *t in final position.
(c) Proto-Jicaquean *tS.
(d) from Jicaque t.
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16. Tol l is from
(a) Proto-Jicaquean *n, which has become Tol l in word-final position.
(b) Proto-Jicaquean *l, which has become n in Jicaque.
(c) Proto-Jicaquean *n, which has sometimes become Tol l in final position.
(d) from Jicaque n.
17. Aspiration on voiceless stops was
(a) added in Tol, by a conditioned sound change.
(b) added in Tol, by an unconditioned sound change.
(c) lost in Jicaque, by a conditioned sound change.
(d) lost in Jicaque, by an unconditioned sound change.
18. The Proto-Jicaquean word for ‘vulture’ should be reconstructed as
(a) *mandI.
(b) *mantI.
(c) *mandi.
(d) *v@ltSr.
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19. Which of the following is true?
(a) Only some ‘languages’ change over time.
(b) Only ‘languages’ without writing systems change over time.
(c) Only ‘languages’ with writing systems change over time.
(d) All ‘languages’ change over time.
20. Sound changes are different from phonological rules in which of the following ways?
(a) they are not part of any individual’s cognitive system.
(b) they express relationships between grammars separated by relatively long periods of
time (multiple generations).
(c) both (a) and (b) above.
(d) none of the above.
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