Languages & linguistics

Questions

1. What is the study of the structure and form of words called?
2. Which language is considered the oldest written language still in use today?
3. What term describes a word that has the same spelling and pronunciation but different meanings?
4. Who is credited with developing the first comprehensive system of phonetic notation?
5. What is the term for the process by which languages become more similar through contact?
6. Which language family does English belong to?
7. What is the term for a dialect that has developed its own literary tradition and prestige?
8. Which linguistic branch studies the historical development of languages?
9. What is the name of the famous linguist who created the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)?
10. In sociolinguistics, what term describes the variation in language use based on social factors like class, gender, or ethnicity?

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Answers

1. Morphology
2. Sumerian
3. Homonym
4. Alexander Melville Bell (or Alexander Graham Bell) — in relation to phonetic notation, the International Phonetic Alphabet was developed by the International Phonetic Association, but Bell contributed to phonetics.
5. Sprachbund (or language convergence)
6. Indo-European
7. Literary dialect or standard dialect
8. Historical linguistics
9. Paul Passy (or the International Phonetic Association)
10. Language variation or linguistic register