Disclaimer: My choice for optional subjects was Literary Essays and I am NOT an expert in Linguistics. Please use these questions at your own risk. But all of these questions are answered after extensive research.
2022 IIA
Q1: Give one definition of language given by any linguist.
"A language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols by means of which a social group cooperates." (Bernard Bloch and George L. Trager)
Q2: What makes Linguistics Science?
Linguistics, by its nature, revolves around the study of a language but that study is carried out through scientific methods of observation and of proving something.
Q3: What is Sociolect?
In Sociolinguistics, sociolect refers to the language that is spoken by a specific social group. For example, when we refer to "Mianwalian Saraiki", we are denoting a specific Saraiki dialect that is spoken by the people of Mianwali. Source
Q4: What is a Phoneme?
A Phoneme is the smallest identifiable unit of spoken sound. For example, /b/, /l/ and /n/ are the phonemes for the word, "belloon"
Q5: What is Applied Linguistics?
Applied Linguistics is a subfield of Linguistics in which issues related to a language are solved based on research and findings are applied on a practical level, especially when acquiring a second language.
Q6: What is Psycholinguistics?
The branch of Linguistics that is concerned with discovering what, on mental and psychological level, makes humans convey their messages through language and how they are able to use languages in the first place.
Q7: Define Phonetics.
This level of Linguistics deals with the studying and classification of speech sounds. But that study also takes into account how a speech sound is produced by a human (Articulatory Phonetics), how a speech sound travels (Acoustic Phonetics), and how a speech sound is received and processed by fellow humans (Auditory Phonetics).
Q8: Define Affixation.
In Morphology, affixation is the process of adding affixes to root morphemes, such as adding a suffix "s" to the root morpheme "cat" changes it from singular to plural.
Q9: Differentiate between Inflectional Morphology and Derivational Morphology.
The affixation in Inflectional Morphology does not change the class or Part of Speech that particular root morpheme belongs. The example answered in previous short question is of Inflectional Morphology. But Derivational Morphology changes the classes of a root morpheme. For example, adding "er" to the verb "teach" will make it "teacher" that has changed its class from a verb to a noun.
Q10: What is an allophone?
Allophones are a collection of related phones grouped together. For example, the allophones for the phoneme /t/ are [th], [ɾ], [ʔ] and [t̪].
2022
Q1: Define Linguistic competence.
Linguistic competence is a speaker's unconscious knowledge of the grammar of a language that assists him in using that language and understanding what is written and spoken.
Q2: What do you know about the arbitrariness of language?
The arbitrariness of a language means there is no fixed meaning of a certain word. Its meaning is dependent on the context. For example, in a general context, the word "dog" refers to a four-legged adorable animal, but in "I'll dog your footsteps relentlessly." [Claw Noir to Cat Noir], it is used as a verb that means "to chase [to retrieve Cat Noir for his Black Cat Miraculous]". (Shout out to Miraculous Ladybug Paris Special for delivering such an awesome special).
Q3: Define Diachronic Linguistics.
In Diachronic Linguistics, a language is studied on historical grounds to see how its vocabulary, grammar, and expressions evolve over time.
Q4: Define Idiolect with an example.
Idiolect is the specific lingual persona of an individual that includes his writing style, choice of vocabulary, and his speaking habits. For instance, if a person discovers a few techy jargon as a part of his software development job, he might start using technical jargon in normal conversations as well.
Q5: Differentiate between Phonetics and Phonology.
Both Phonetics and Phonology deal with spoken sounds but the main difference lies in how they approach speech sounds. Phonetics mainly focuses on the physical and transmissive properties of spoken sounds whereas Pholology strives to uncover how humans approach the production of speech sounds on a cognitive and mental level.
Q6: Define allomorph.
Already answered
Q7: What is Lingua Franca? Also tell Lingua Franca of Pakistan.
A Lingua Franca is the mutually spoken and understood language that helps connect two or more speakers who speak different native languages. For Pakistan, that's Urdu (and to some extent, English) but for India, it's both Hindi and English.
Q8: Give two examples of Diphthongs.
/ɪə/ as in beer, pier, hear
/eə/ as in bear, pair, and hair Source
Q9: Define Diction.
Diction is the choice of words and/or phrases a writer makes to adorn his writing.
Q10: What is Aphasia?
Aphasia is a language disorder that affects a person's ability to produce a phonetically accurate speech sound or to understand a language owing to local brain damage. A stroke may also lead to aphasia as either the blood vessel bursts or gets blocked. Source
2021
Q1: Define Syllable.
A Syllable is the identifiable pronunciation unit that exhibits the influence of one syllable that is surrounded with or without consonants. For example, there are two syllables in my first name and those are "As" and "ad".
Q2: How is a vowel different from a consonant?
A vowel does not produce an audible sound but complements/directs the consonant sounds. Whereas consonants do exhibit certain phonetic sound.
Q3: Who propounded Theory of Speech Acts?
John Langshaw Austin.
Q4: What are paradigmatic relations in language?
Pragmatic relations in a language help in categorizing words into their distinct grammatical class such as verbs, nouns, etc.
Q5: What are syntagmatic relations in language?
Syntagmatic relations in a language strive to clear how words in a sentence clear the position of the subject and its relationship with the object. For example, "Jawad is trimming the grass. " In this sentence, we learn that Jawad isn't trimming anything else other than grass, and the grass, indeed is being trimmed by none other than [Yaru Khel dwelling] Jawad. Source
Q6: What is synchronic study of language?
The synchronic study of language refers to studying a language in a specific time.
Q7: What is diachronic study of language?
Already answered in Q3 of 2022.
Q8: What is macro-linguistics?
Macro-linguistics is the second major branch of Linguistics that deals with studying (the development) of a language on a broader scope such as social or historical development. Source
Q9: How does Chomsky define language?
"Language is a set (finite or infinite) of sentences, each finite in length, and constructed out of a finite set of elements. "
Q10: Who wrote the Course in General Linguistics?
Ferdinand de Saussure.
2020
Q1: Give one definition of language given by any linguistic.
Already answered
Q2: What are the features of scientific study?
Scientific study or research follows a series of steps to prove a formed hypothesis through observation, concrete experimentation and factual case studies.
Q3: What is Comparative Linguistics?
Comparative Linguistics, as the name suggests, focuses on comparing the phonetic, grammatical and other similar features in two or more languages.
Q4: Differentiate between Langue and Parole.
Langue is a community's understanding of (grammatical) rules and rest of the language system that is a shared knowledge among the community members. Whereas Parole is the "act of" speaking that language through the shared system under a certain situation.
Q5: What is a Dialect?
A dialect is a variation of a spoken language that is specific to certain group of people. For example, the people in Pakki Shah Mardan speak a slightly different version of Saraiki than the one brought up in Mianwali city (and its surrounding areas). For example:
English: Hey, what are you doing?
Mianwali Saraiki Dialect: اوئے، کے کریندا پیا ہیں؟
Pakki Shah Mardan Saraiki Dialect: اوئے، کیشے کریناں پیا ہیں؟
Q6: What is a Sociolect?
Already answered
Q7: What is a Phoneme?
Already answered
Q8: What is Applied Linguistics?
Already answered
Q9: What is Competence?
Already answered
Q10: What is Psycholinguistics?
Already answered
2019
Q1: What are the components of a syllable?
A syllable usually contains an onset (a consonant before the vowel), the nucleus (central vowel), and the coda (the consonants proceeding the nucleus).
Q2: What is a vowel?
A vowel is a letter that is uttered without blocking the airflow from the vocal tract. A vowel assists in pronouncing the consonant sounds, serving as a nucleus for many words.
Q3: Define Speech Act.
The utterances which "inform", "request", "command" and "question" the listeners are known as speech acts. For example, "I'll publish the hints for solving long questions for Modern Poetry before 13-Feb-2024", I am informing you, my community of my (act of) promise.
Q4: Define Langue.
Langue is a system of language recognized and mutually shared by the community, such as its syntax, morphology and semantics, etc.
Q5: What is Segmental Phonology?
Segmental Phonology deals with studying the smallest units of speech sounds and their organization in a language.
Q6: What is Articulatory Phonetics?
The production of speech sounds from human organs in general and the vocal tract, in particular, are studied in Articulatory Phonetics.
Q7: What is Acoustic Phonetics?
Acoustic Phonetics is the study of the physical properties of speech sounds (as waves) and these waves are classified into different frequencies and durations for us to distinguish between them.
Q8: What is micro-linguistics?
This major branch of Linguistics helps us study language on strictly lingual grounds such as phonetics, grammar, syntax, punctuation and sentence structure, etc, without the contextual meaning of words
Q9: Who wrote Syntactic Structures?
Noam Chomsky.
Q10: Who wrote Course in General Linguistics?
Already answered
2018
Q1: Discuss how language is a system of symbols?
Language is a system of symbols as these symbols carry a meaning that is mutually agreed upon by the community (it is also known as the arbitrariness of language). (Please verify this answer or correct me if it is wrong).
Q2: What is historical linguistics?
Already answered
Q3: What is brain plasticity?
Brain plasticity is the ability of brain to undergo structural and functional changes but this process also happens when one learns a new language.
Q4: What is surface and deep structure?
Surface structure in Linguistics is only concerned with the arrangement of words in a sentence whereas deep structure refers to pealing through the lines, discovering contextual and intended meaning of the words used in a sentence.
Q5: What is the difference between descriptive linguistics and prescriptive linguistics?
Descriptive Linguistics focuses on how a language is "practically" used by a community whereas Prescriptive Linguistics establishes the rules, the "right" way to speak or write in a language.
Q6: How language is a system of systems?
Language is a system of systems as these linguistic systems/units (phonetics, morphology and syntax, etc) that are independent of each other but they do work together.
Q7: Differentiate the concepts of langue and parole.
Already answered
Q8: What is syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationship?
The syntagmatic relationship constitutes combinations that assist the words used in sentences whereas the paradigmatic relationship strives to look for substitutes for the words in the same class.
Q9: What is the difference between free and bound morphemes?
Already answered
Q10: Differentiate between lexicography and lexicology?
Lexicology is the study of words, how they are formed, their meaning, and their usage. Whereas lexicography is concerned with the creation of dictionaries, thus covering the practical aspects of lexicology.
2017
Q1: What is Acoustic Phonetics?
Already answered
Q2: What is Prevarication?
Language relies on transferring and receiving of signals to complete the process of communication. But these signals can be misleading or false (on purpose). This ability of broadcasting false signals is called Prevarication.
Q3: What is functional variety of language?
The functional variety of language refers to the usage of language in multiple scenarios, such as greeting and introducing you to someone or showing your agreement or disagreement.
Q4: What is an Allophone?
Already answered
Q5: What is an Allomorph?
Already answered
Q6: Define Theo-linguistics.
The branch of Linguistics in which linguists study the language and scriptures that are closely related to religion is called Theolinguistics.
Q7: /w/ is articulated as a vowel but it is a consonant, why?
Sure /w/ is a consonant but it is often articulated as a vowel since /w/ is a semi-vowel because it also alters the direction of a consonant, the same way a vowel does. For example, the /w/ sound in "slow" adds to pronunciation of /l/ sound.
Q8: What are approximant sounds?
Approximant sounds are produced when two vocal tracts are brought closer together but without causing an audible friction. Semi-vowel sounds are approximants such as "w" and "y". Source
Q9: What is Neologism?
Neologism is the coinage of a new term (by mixing and mashing existing words to make a new one) that is gradually being used in normal conversations. For example, the word clickbait is made of two existing words click (a mouse click) and bait (for the fish). Clickbait usually refers to a misleading YouTube video or an article with a dodgy headline to farm clicks. Source
Q10: What is a Phoneme?
Already answered
2016
Q1: What is Acoustic Phonetics?
Already answered
Q2: What is Prevarication?
Already answered
Q3: What is functional variety of language?
Already answered
Q4: What is an Allophone?
Already answered
Q5: What is an Allomorph?
Already answered
Q6: Define Theo-linguistics.
Already answered
Q7: /w/ is articulated as a vowel but it is a consonant, why?
Already answered
Q8: What are approximant sounds?
Already answered
Q9: What is Neologism?
Already answered
Q10: What is a Phoneme?
Already answered
2015
Q1: What is Displacement in the study of language?
Displacement in Linguistics refers to a language's ability to inform us about things of the past and future or anything that does not happen in the present time and space.
Q2: What is the form function relationship?
The form-function relationship in Linguistics refers to the structural and phonetic form of a word and how that form functions on a semantic and syntactic level (in a sentence).
Q3: What are infixes?
The affixes that are added in the middle of a word (unlike prefixes and suffixes), for example, Abso"goddam"lutely.
Q4: What is the difference between connotative meaning and denotative meanings?
Connotative meaning refers to the figurative meaning of a word whereas denotative refers to the literal meaning. For example, the word "chair" in the sentence "Politicians fight for the chair." means "power" on connotative level and "four-legged and portable seating with support for resting your back" on denotative level.
Q5: What is generative Grammar?
Generative Grammar is a limited set of rules to generate an unlimited number of sentences.
Q6: What are minimal pairs?
Minimal pairs are a set of words that only have one different phoneme. For example, "bat", "cat" and "mat" are minimal pairs for they only have /b/, /k/ and /m/ as different sounds and rest of them are the same.
Q7: What is language lateralization?
Language lateralization means that one-half of our brain is more involved in language functions than the other half.
Q8: What is the difference between derivational morpheme and inflectional morpheme?
Already answered
Q9: What is the difference between voiced and voiceless sounds?
Voiced sounds produce noticeable vibrations whereas voiceless sounds do not produce any vibration. Try speaking /b/ (voiced) and /s/ (voiceless) and see if you can feel the vibration in your vocal tract when producing these sounds.
Q10: What is the difference between code-mixing and code-switching?
Code-switching refers to the change of language within a conversation (i. e. uttering a word of another language). For example, I ate Samosa. However, code-mixing means switching languages entirely from sentence to sentence. For example, "I was too tired last night. Iss liye mein jaldi so gaya. "
