MCQs on Culture, Categories, and Language Concepts

What does the term "culture" refer to in the context of language and society?

a) The physical artifacts of a society

b) The social acquisition of knowledge and ideas about the world

c) The structure of language itself

d) The biological aspects of human behavior

Answer: b) The social acquisition of knowledge and ideas about the world

Which of the following best describes a "category" in language?

a) A set of words used to refer to concepts relevant in social contexts

b) A grammatical rule applied to all nouns in a language

c) A list of proper nouns

d) A set of unrelated words

Answer: a) A set of words used to refer to concepts relevant in social contexts

What does the variation in color terms among languages, like those spoken by the Dani and the Inuit,
suggest about language and culture?

a) Color perception is entirely objective

b) External reality is organized differently across languages

c) The spectrum of visible colors is the same for all cultures

d) All languages use the same number of color terms

Answer: b) External reality is organized differently across languages

Which language has only two color terms, equivalent to “black” and “white”?

a) English
b) Mopan Maya

c) Watam

d) Dani (spoken in New Guinea)

Answer: d) Dani (spoken in New Guinea)

In English, the word “uncle” refers to both the father’s brother and the mother’s brother. Which of the
following languages lexicalizes these distinctions differently?

a) English

b) Watam (spoken in Papua New Guinea)

c) Mopan Maya (spoken in Belize)

d) Both b and c

Answer: d) Both b and c

What is the primary distinction made by speakers of Mopan Maya regarding the English word “uncle”?

a) The uncle’s marital status

b) The uncle’s age

c) The distinction between father’s brother and mother’s brother

d) The uncle’s occupation

Answer: c) The distinction between father’s brother and mother’s brother

Which of the following is a key characteristic of kinship terms in different languages?

a) They always use the same vocabulary across all cultures

b) They are influenced by cultural perceptions and distinctions within families

c) Kinship terms are absent in all languages

d) They have no relationship to the social roles within families

Answer: b) They are influenced by cultural perceptions and distinctions within families
In the Hopi language, why were there traditionally no terms equivalent to our time words such as
"week" or "two hours"?

a) Hopi people did not have any concepts of time

b) Their worldview did not treat time as a measurable commodity

c) Hopi speakers lacked a calendar system

d) They used alternative forms of writing that did not require time-based words

Answer: b) Their worldview did not treat time as a measurable commodity

Which language is mentioned as having no term for “week” or “weekend”?

a) English

b) Hopi

c) Norwegian

d) Dani

Answer: b) Hopi

What does the variation in the categorization of time (such as the absence of a “week” in Hopi) suggest
about culture and language?

a) Time is universally perceived the same across all cultures

b) Cultural systems of categorization can influence the structure of language

c) All cultures divide time into the same units

d) Time is irrelevant to all languages

Answer: b) Cultural systems of categorization can influence the structure of language

MCQs on Linguistic Relativity and Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

What does the weak version of linguistic relativity suggest?

a) Language fully determines thought

c) Language influences the way we think about the world

d) Thought is independent of language

Answer: c) Language influences the way we think about the world

What is the concept of linguistic determinism?

a) Language has no effect on thought

b) Thought shapes language

c) Language fully determines how we think

d) Thought can only be expressed in certain languages

Answer: c) Language fully determines how we think

What is one of the examples used to illustrate linguistic relativity in the text?

a) The difference between English and Inuit terms for “snow”

b) The difference between French and English kinship terms

c) The role of gender in language

d) The comparison between spoken and written language

Answer: a) The difference between English and Inuit terms for “snow”

Which hypothesis suggests that the structure of language shapes how people perceive and interpret the
world?

a) The Chomsky Hypothesis

b) The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

c) The Darwinian Hypothesis

d) The Vygotskian Hypothesis

Answer: b) The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis

a) Hopi speakers do not categorize objects as animate or inanimate

b) Hopi speakers perceive clouds and stones as living entities

c) Hopi speakers lack the concept of time

d) Hopi speakers do not use grammatical distinctions

Answer: b) Hopi speakers perceive clouds and stones as living entities

What is the primary issue with the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis when applied to the example of the Hopi and
English speakers?

a) It assumes that all speakers of a language think in the same way

b) It confuses linguistic classification with biological classification

c) It ignores cultural influences on thought

d) It overemphasizes the role of grammar in shaping thought

Answer: b) It confuses linguistic classification with biological classification

In the example of French language usage, why should we not conclude that stones and doors are
perceived as female entities?

a) The grammatical gender system in French is arbitrary

b) The word “feminine” in French does not imply actual femininity

c) French speakers have no concept of gender

d) Stones and doors are biologically classified as female

Answer: b) The word “feminine” in French does not imply actual femininity

According to the text, how many basic words for “snow” do the Inuit of West Greenland have?

a) One
b) Two

c) Five

d) Ten

Answer: b) Two

What is the more accurate interpretation of the Inuit's many snow-related expressions?

a) Their language prevents them from thinking about snow in other ways

b) The language provides a few basic words, from which many expressions can be created

c) They do not have the concept of snow

d) The expressions control how Inuit speakers perceive snow

Answer: b) The language provides a few basic words, from which many expressions can be created

Which of the following is true about the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis?

a) It suggests that all humans see the world in the same way regardless of language

b) It argues that language has no influence on thought or perception

c) It claims that linguistic structures can shape how people view the world

d) It asserts that thought shapes language, not the other way around

Answer: c) It claims that linguistic structures can shape how people view the world

MCQs on Non-lexicalized Categories, Cognitive Categories, Classifiers, and Social Categories

What is an example of a non-lexicalized category in English related to snow?

a) Blizzard

b) Slush

c) Powdery snow

d) Sleet
Answer: c) Powdery snow

What does the concept of "manipulating language" refer to in the context of language change?

a) Language is fixed and cannot evolve

b) People create new words to describe new entities

c) Thought is determined by language

d) Language limits our perceptions and concepts

Answer: b) People create new words to describe new entities

What is the significance of the Hopi borrowing the word "santi" (Sunday) from English speakers?

a) It demonstrates that language determines thought

b) It shows how language can evolve and adapt to new concepts

c) It reflects the Hopi's lack of understanding of the concept of a week

d) It indicates that the Hopi language is rigid and unchanging

Answer: b) It shows how language can evolve and adapt to new concepts

In the Yagua language, the concept of "animate" includes which of the following entities?

a) Only humans

b) Only animals

c) The moon, rocks, and pineapples

d) Only plants

Answer: c) The moon, rocks, and pineapples

What is the function of classifiers in languages such as Swahili?

a) To mark grammatical tenses

c) To show the number of nouns

d) To express emotional tone

Answer: b) To indicate the class or type of noun involved

What does the English language use to handle non-countable nouns, similar to classifiers in other
languages?

a) Singular and plural distinctions

b) Classifier-type expressions like "piece of"

c) Gender-specific pronouns

d) No distinctions are made

Answer: b) Classifier-type expressions like "piece of"

Which of the following is an example of an address term used to create solidarity in English?

a) Sir

b) Mrs. Smith

c) Brother

d) Mr. Cuddlesworth

Answer: c) Brother

In languages with a T/V distinction, what does the use of the plural form indicate?

a) A close relationship

b) A non-reciprocal relationship

c) A distant relationship

d) The speakers are strangers

Answer: c) A distant relationship

a) The woman’s marital status

b) The woman’s social status

c) The woman’s relationship to a man

d) The woman is not identified by marital status

Answer: d) The woman is not identified by marital status

What does the word “uncle” illustrate in terms of social categories?

a) A technical family relationship only

b) A socially defined category that can apply to many people

c) A label for a specific individual

d) A cultural distinction between family and non-family members

Answer: b) A socially defined category that can apply to many people

MCQs on Gender and Language

What is the primary difference between biological gender and social gender?

a) Biological gender refers to gendered speech, while social gender refers to biological differences.

b) Biological gender applies to all living beings, whereas social gender applies to human roles.

c) Social gender refers to grammatical distinctions in nouns, while biological gender refers to male and
female characteristics.

d) Biological gender is based on social roles, and social gender is based on biological characteristics.

Answer: b) Biological gender applies to all living beings, whereas social gender applies to human roles.

In which language do men and women use different words for “milk”?

a) Spanish

b) Sidamo
c) Japanese

d) Portuguese

Answer: b) Sidamo

Which of the following is a gendered pronoun used in Portuguese for saying “thank you”?

a) Obrigado (for men)

b) Obrigada (for women)

c) Both a and b

d) Obrigada (for men)

Answer: c) Both a and b

What physical characteristic causes men to have a lower pitch than women?

a) Larger vocal folds

b) Longer vocal tracts

c) Thicker vocal folds

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

What is a characteristic of male speech patterns in same-gender groups?

a) Men tend to use tag questions more frequently.

b) Men’s speech is typically hierarchical, focusing on maintaining the floor.

c) Men engage in co-operative activities more often than women.

d) Men prefer to exchange roles in conversations.

Answer: b) Men’s speech is typically hierarchical, focusing on maintaining the floor.

a) To assert authority

b) To confirm facts

c) To invite agreement

d) To avoid confrontation

Answer: c) To invite agreement

How do men typically use back-channels in conversation compared to women?

a) Men use more back-channels to indicate agreement.

b) Men use fewer back-channels and treat them as indicators of agreement.

c) Men do not use back-channels at all.

d) Men use back-channels to interrupt more frequently.

Answer: b) Men use fewer back-channels and treat them as indicators of agreement.

Which of the following languages has introduced a gender-neutral pronoun, “hen”?

a) English

b) Swedish

c) Portuguese

d) Sidamo

Answer: b) Swedish

Which of the following terms was proposed in the 19th century as a gender-neutral alternative in
English?

a) Hesh

b) Ze

c) Thon
d) Hen

Answer: c) Thon

Which historical linguistic change is similar to the current use of singular they in English?

a) The shift from “thou” to “you” for singular reference.

b) The use of “he” and “she” for non-gendered terms.

c) The introduction of gendered pronouns.

d) The creation of gender-neutral pronouns like “hen.”

Answer: a) The shift from “thou” to “you” for singular reference.

What is one reason that the use of singular they has become more common?

a) It provides an example of how cultural change influences language.

b) It is required by the grammar of English.

c) It is a recent linguistic innovation.

d) It helps clarify gender-specific pronouns.

Answer: a) It provides an example of how cultural change influences language.

What is the term for short questions added to the end of a statement, such as “doesn’t it” in "It looks
nice there, doesn’t it?"

a) Back-channels

b) Tag questions

c) Pronouns

d) Gender markers

Answer: b) Tag questions

What is the role of gendered language in cross-gender interactions?

b) Women are more likely to interrupt men.

c) Both genders interrupt equally.

d) There is no significant difference in interruption patterns.

Answer: a) Men are more likely to interrupt women.

Which of the following is an example of a gendered language form used by men in Japanese?

a) Atashi

b) Boku

c) Watashi

d) Gurda

Answer: b) Boku

What does the term "gender-neutral language" refer to?

a) Language that uses both masculine and feminine terms

b) Language that does not assume or specify a person’s gender

c) Language that avoids biological distinctions between men and women

d) Language that eliminates social gender differences

Answer: b) Language that does not assume or specify a person’s gender