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Chapter 5
Languages
1) A lingua franca is
A) an English word that has entered the French language.
B) a language understood by people who have different native languages.
C) an extinct language that has been revived.
D) an official language in a region of the world different from where the language originated.
E) a language used by French colonial administrations.
2) The main difference between languages in the same family, branch, or group is how
A) recently in time the languages were once the same.
B) closely the speakers of each language live to one other.
C) they correspond to the diffusion of free markets across much of the world.
D) similar the cultures of the speakers of each language are.
E) they all emerged at the same point in history, according to the Bible.
3) A group of languages that share a common origin but have since evolved into individual
languages is a
A) dialect.
B) language branch.
C) language family.
D) language group.
E) language root.
4) A group of languages that share a common ancestor before recorded history is a
A) dialect.
B) language branch.
C) language family.
D) language group.
E) language root.
5) Basque is a good example of a(n)
A) language family.
B) globalizing language.
C) language group.
D) lingua franca.
E) isolated language.
6) Franglais is
A) the lingua franca of France.
B) a dialect of French.
C) the standard language of French.
D) the use of English in the French language.
E) a language used by French colonial administrations.
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7) The geographic study of the distribution of languages provides a good example of
A) the interplay between globalization and local diversity.
B) the diffusion of folk culture in different areas of the world.
C) the role and spread of religion across much of the world.
D) the diffusion of free markets across much of the world.
E) political conflicts that arise due to ethnic tensions.
8) The two largest language families in the world are
A) Indo-Iranian and Balto-Slavic.
B) Sino-Tibetan and Indo-European.
C) Afro-Asiatic and Sino-Tibetan.
D) Balto-Slavic and Sino-Tibetan.
E) Altaic and Nilo-Saharan.
9) When languages are depicted as leaves on trees, the trunks of the trees represent
A) dialects.
B) language groups.
C) language families.
D) possible prehistoric superfamilies.
E) language sects.
10) The language family encompassing the languages of the People's Republic of China is
A) Indo-European.
B) Indo-Iranian.
C) Mandarin.
D) Sino-Tibetan.
E) Austro-Asiatic.
11) The charts or diagrams in this chapter indicate that the percentage of Altaic language
speakers in the world is greater than the percentage speaking ________ languages.
A) Sino-Tibetan
B) Austro-Asiatic
C) Indo-European
D) Niger Congo
E) Austronesian
12) The charts or diagrams in this chapter indicate that the percentage of Austronesian language
speakers in the world is greater than the percentage speaking ________ languages.
A) Sino-Tibetan
B) Dravidian
C) Indo-European
D) Niger-Congo
E) Afro-Asiatic
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13) The diagrams in this chapter show that the percentage of Sino-Tibetan speakers in the world
is less than the percentage speaking ________ languages.
A) Austronesian
B) Indo-European
C) Dravidian
D) Altaic
E) Niger-Congo
14) The maps in this chapter show that the second most widely spoken language family in
Europe is
A) Balto-Slavic.
B) Indo-European.
C) Romance.
D) Uralic.
E) Celtic.
15) Both the Angles and the Normans contributed to the development of the English language,
because they
A) spoke ancient English languages.
B) invaded England.
C) spoke languages derived from Latin.
D) diffused English around the world.
E) agreed to divide Ireland from England.
16) The first speakers of the language that evolved into English were tribes that lived in present-
day
A) France.
B) Denmark.
C) United States.
D) Italy.
E) Switzerland.
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17) Dialects developed within England primarily because
A) different Germanic invaders settled in different regions.
B) the Normans invaded from the south.
C) the Viking invaders did not remain long in England.
D) British Received Pronunciation became the standard dialect.
E) commerce developed more slowly in England than on the European continent.
18) Which of the following is not a Romance language?
A) Bulgarian
B) Italian
C) Portuguese
D) Romanian
E) French
19) The language spoken by soldiers stationed throughout the Roman Empire was known as
A) Official Latin.
B) Romance language.
C) standard language.
D) Vulgar Latin.
E) Catalan Latin.
20) The most widely spoken language in Brazil is
A) Creole.
B) French.
C) Portuguese.
D) Spanish.
E) Catalan.
21) The most widely spoken language in Argentina is
A) Creole.
B) French.
C) Spanish.
D) Portuguese.
E) Catalan.
22) The four most frequently spoken branches of Indo-European include all but
A) Balto-Slavic.
B) Celtic.
C) Indo-Iranian.
D) Romance.
E) Germanic.
23) The two most important languages in South America are
A) Dutch and English.
B) English and Spanish.
C) French and Spanish.
D) Portuguese and Spanish.
E) Creole and Portuguese.
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24) Russian is part of what language branch?
A) Balto-Slavic
B) Germanic
C) Indo-Iranian
D) Romance
E) Altaic
25) The Kurgans
A) conquered much of East Asia several thousand years ago.
B) were a Germanic tribe that invaded England.
C) were herders from the steppes of Central Asia.
D) preserved Basque in present-day Spain.
E) were the earliest speakers of Sino-Caucasian, which they diffused through conquest.
26) According to Colin Renfrew's research, Indo-European languages diffused across Europe
A) entirely by sea.
B) by way of the Kurgan homeland.
C) with the conquests of warriors on horseback.
D) with the diffusion of agriculture.
E) following the traders on the silk road.
27) Colin Renfrew's research constitutes much of the ________ Hypothesis.
A) Nomadic Herder
B) Kurgan Farmer
C) Nomadic Warrior
D) Sedentary Farmer
E) Silk Road Trader
28) English is part of which language branch?
A) Germanic
B) Northern
C) Western
D) Indo-European
E) Austronesian
29) English is part of which language family?
A) Germanic
B) North Germanic
C) West Germanic
D) Indo-European
E) Romance
30) Which group of the Germanic family is extinct?
A) West Germanic
B) North Germanic
C) East Germanic
D) South Germanic
E) Uber Germanic
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31) According to the maps and diagrams in this chapter, the Germanic invaders of England
included which groups or tribes?
A) Germans, Normans, and Danes
B) Brittans, Normans, and Welsh
C) Irish, Welsh, and English
D) Scots, Irish, and Welsh
E) Angles, Jutes, and Saxons
32) According to the maps and diagrams in this chapter, England was invaded by tribes from
A) English-speaking areas
B) Uric-speaking areas
C) Native American-speaking areas
D) Italian-speaking areas
E) Germanic-speaking areas
33) Analyzing the maps and diagrams in this chapter, we can see that the branch of Indo-
European that includes Ukrainian is
A) European.
B) Balto-Slavic.
C) Indo-Iranian.
D) Romance.
E) Germanic.
34) According to the maps and diagrams in this chapter, the branch of Indo-European that
includes Slovak is
A) European.
B) Balto-Slavic.
C) Indo-Iranian.
D) Romance.
E) Germanic.
35) According to the maps and diagrams in this chapter, the branch of Indo-European that
includes Romanian is
A) European.
B) Romance.
C) Indo-Iranian.
D) Balto-Slavic.
E) Germanic.
36) According to the maps and diagrams in this chapter, the branch of Indo-European that
includes Haitian Creole is
A) European.
B) Romance.
C) Indo-Iranian.
D) Balto-Slavic.
E) Germanic.
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37) According to the maps and diagrams in this chapter, the branch of Indo-European that
includes Rangpuri is
A) European.
B) Indo-Iranian.
C) Romance.
D) Balto-Slavic.
E) Germanic.
38) Analysis of the maps and diagrams in this chapter shows that the branch of Indo-European
that includes Kurdish is
A) European.
B) Indo-Iranian.
C) Romance.
D) Balto-Slavic.
E) Germanic.
39) Analysis of the maps and diagrams in this chapter shows that the Dutch language is from the
branch of Indo-European known as
A) European.
B) Germanic.
C) Romance.
D) Balto-Slavic.
E) Indo-Iranian.
40) According to the diagrams in this chapter, Turkmen is part of what language branch?
A) Altaic
B) Germanic
C) Indo-Iranian
D) Romance
E) Balto-Slavic
41) The maps and diagrams in this chapter show that an Indo-European language is chiefly
spoken in which of these countries?
A) Bulgaria
B) Finland
C) Hungary
D) Estonia
E) China
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42) An analysis of the maps and diagrams in this chapter shows that every European country is
dominated by Indo-European speakers except
A) Spain, Italy, and Portugal.
B) Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia.
C) Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
D) Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
E) Finland, Hungary, and Estonia.
43) An analysis of the maps and diagrams in this chapter shows that Indo-European speakers
dominate
A) Estonia
B) Madagascar
C) Malaysia
D) Finland
E) Sweden
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44) English is part of which language group?
A) East Germanic
B) North Germanic
C) West Germanic
D) Indo-European
E) Semitic
45) A literary tradition is
A) a form of a language intended to be printed in official government documents.
B) a language spoken in an area.
C) a collection of languages related to one other.
D) the written form of a language.
E) the variety of dialects in a language used in obscure examples of poetry.
46) An isogloss is
A) a form of a language spoken in a local area.
B) a collection of unique words.
C) a boundary between language regions.
D) a blending of two language families.
E) a line that separates literary traditions.
47) The second-largest language family is
A) Indo-European.
B) Sino-Tibetan.
C) Afro-Asiatic.
D) Austronesian.
E) Dravidian.
48) Marija Gimbutas' theory points to the first speakers of the Indo-European language as the
ancient
A) Celts.
B) Germans.
C) Kurgans.
D) Russians.
E) Dravidians.
49) Marija Gimbutas has contributed to the ________ Hypothesis.
A) Sedentary Archer
B) Nomadic Fisher
C) Nomadic Warrior
D) Sedentary Farmer
E) Sedentary Farmer-Warrior
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50) When languages are depicted as leaves on trees, the roots of the trees below the surface
represent
A) dialects.
B) language groups.
C) language sects.
D) language families.
E) possible prehistoric superfamilies.
51) The most important language family in Sub-Saharan Africa is
A) Khoisan.
B) Niger-Congo.
C) Nilo-Saharan.
D) Afro-Asiatic.
E) Altaic.
52) The survival of any language relies on
A) rapid migration into other areas.
B) the efficient "corrections" of the global free market.
C) the political and military strength of its speakers.
D) the spread of its speakers' material culture.
E) the homogenization of its dialects.
53) The Flemings and Walloons speak languages belonging to different
A) dialects.
B) language branches.
C) language families.
D) language groups.
E) language sects.
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54) In the following answer choices, the best example of a literary tradition is
A) the diffusion of television and radio broadcasts.
B) the religious rituals and traditions of ancient European civilizations.
C) the oral traditions of Australia's Aborigines that were passed down from generation to
generation without the aid of writing.
D) the historical documents and religious texts of the ancient Maya that were partly destroyed by
Spanish conquerors.
E) the variety of dialects in a language used in obscure examples of spoken poetry.
55) British and American English differ in all but which of the following?
A) alphabet
B) pronunciation
C) spelling
D) vocabulary
E) prevalent dialects
56) Gumbo and jazz are terms that originated in the English dialects of
A) New Englanders.
B) African Americans.
C) Jewish immigrants to the United States.
D) Irish Americans.
E) French Americans.
57) Immigrants to which American colonies had the most diverse backgrounds in the 1700s and
1800s?
A) Middle Atlantic
B) New England
C) Northern
D) Southeast
E) French Canadian
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58) An analysis of the map of U.S. soft drink terminology shows that the word "pop" is more
common in
A) California.
B) Oregon.
C) Mississippi.
D) Florida.
E) New Mexico.
59) An analysis of the map of U.S. soft drink terminology shows that the word "Coke" is more
common in
A) Illinois.
B) Mississippi.
C) New York.
D) Oregon.
E) California.
60) A form of a language spoken in a local area is a
A) dialect.
B) branch.
C) family.
D) group.
E) root.
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61) When people who speak a given language migrate to a different location and become
isolated from other members of their group
A) their language usually shows very little change even over a long period of time, despite the
appearance of a small number of changes typical of different dialects.
B) they immediately develop a literary tradition.
C) isolation usually results in the differentiation of one language into dialects, followed
eventually by two distinct languages.
D) they lose their linguistic abilities.
E) groups form multiple dialects.
62) A creolized language is
A) extinct.
B) a mix of indigenous and colonial languages.
C) an isolated language family.
D) a possible prehistoric superfamily.
E) a revived formerly extinct language.
63) A pidgin language
A) has no native speakers.
B) is spread by folk culture.
C) stems from invasion.
D) cannot exist for more than a generation.
E) cannot exist without globalization.
64) A language that was nearly extinct in British-controlled areas but which is now being revived
is
A) Slavic.
B) Celtic.
C) Iranian.
D) English.
E) Pictish.
65) The Icelandic language has changed less than any other Germanic language because of
A) Iceland's close contact with other people and activities.
B) migration by German tribes.
C) Iceland's relative isolation from other places.
D) the extinction of the East Germanic group.
E) continuous exchange with Norway and Sweden.
66) The language spoken by the greatest number of native speakers in the world is
A) Cantonese.
B) English.
C) Hindi.
D) Mandarin.
E) Spanish.
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67) Chinese is traditionally written in the form of
A) a literary tradition.
B) a Latin alphabet.
C) ideograms.
D) Cantonese.
E) phonemes.
68) The large number of individual languages documented in Africa has resulted primarily from
A) thousands of years of isolation between cultural groups.
B) repeated invasions by outsiders.
C) introduction of many different languages by the colonial powers.
D) frequent migration by the different tribal groups.
E) colonial administration of native lands.
69) Hebrew is an example of
A) an isolated language.
B) an extinct language.
C) a revived language.
D) a language family.
E) an Altaic language.
70) The Flemings and Walloons live in
A) Belgium.
B) France.
C) South Africa.
D) Switzerland.
E) Liechtenstein.
71) Official languages in Switzerland include all but which of the following?
A) Italian
B) Flemish
C) Romansh
D) French
E) German
72) Basque is spoken primarily in
A) Brittany.
B) the Swiss Alps.
C) the Pyrenees Mountains.
D) Barcelona, Spain.
E) Liechtenstein.
73) ________ is to Canada as ________ is to the United States.
A) French; Spanish
B) English; French
C) French; English
D) Conflict over ethnicity; conflict over language
E) Alaska; Greenland
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74) Spanish is an important language in the United States primarily because of
A) the diffusion of Spanish colonies and subsequent migration patterns.
B) the Mexican conquest of the U.S. Southwest in the 1800s.
C) the global dominance of the United States.
D) the diffusion of Mexican colonies into the northern territories.
E) official U.S. policies proclaiming Spanish a national language, along with English.
75) The language maps in this chapter show that Urdu is one of the most important languages of
A) Bangladesh.
B) Iran.
C) Pakistan.
D) Sri Lanka.
76) The language maps in this chapter show that Quechuan is widely spoken in at least ________
South American countries.
A) two
B) eight
C) ten
D) four
E) twelve
77) The language maps in this chapter show that Tamil is an important language in
A) Bangladesh and India.
B) Pakistan and India.
C) Iran and Pakistan.
D) India and Sri Lanka.
E) Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
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78) Celtic languages
A) were threatened by extinction in England.
B) are still spoken by people in France.
C) have been revived in some parts of the British Isles.
D) have an extensive body of literature.
E) all of the above
79) All of the following describe the English language except
A) It is a lingua franca.
B) Its recent growth is due to expansion diffusion.
C) It is an Indo-European language.
D) It has diffused along with economic globalization.
E) It is an isogloss.
80) The English language is a "second" or "third" language in many regions where it is used as
a(n)
A) colonial dialect.
B) expansion diffusion.
C) Indo-European import.
D) global lingua.
E) lingua franca.
81) English is the most important language in North America primarily because of
A) the diffusion of English colonies.
B) the Norman conquest.
C) the global dominance of the United States.
D) official government policy.
E) prohibitions against foreign languages.
82) The most widely spoken Indo-European language is
A) English.
B) Hindi.
C) Spanish.
D) Bengali.
E) Indo-European.
83) Australia and New Zealand's language policies differ today in that Australia
A) emphasizes the English language while New Zealand gives a lot of support to linguistic
diversity.
B) was settled by English colonists but the original colonial language of New Zealand was
French.
C) recognizes Maori as an official Aboriginal language whereas New Zealand does not.
D) has virtually no indigenous language speakers remaining.
E) requires immigrants to take a dictation test whereas the New Zealand test is written.
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84) Which statement best describes the use of English on the Internet?
A) English has become less dominant but is still the leading Internet language.
B) Different Internets exist for most other widely spoken languages, like Chinese, Japanese, and
Russian.
C) The number of English-speaking Internet users remains above 50 percent.
D) English has become more dominant as the most common language on the Internet.
E) No one seems to be able to spell English correctly anymore.
85) English has achieved unprecedented acceptance globally due to
A) the refusal to use English in colonial and imperial expansion.
B) the diffusion of command economies across much of the world.
C) its role as the common language of a global economy and culture.
D) the rise of folk culture and the decline of popular culture.
E) the diffusion of religion from LDCs to MDCs.
86) In the 1700s, 1800s, and afterward, English diffusion has been strongly related to
colonialism and imperialism in many parts of the world because
A) conquered populations refused to use English while colonial and imperial expansion was
underway.
B) as imperial Russia and China expanded they used English as a lingua franca in Asia.
C) conquered peoples wishing to participate in the new government and the increasingly global
economy felt pressured to learn English.
D) people in conquered countries knew that in the distant future, English would become the main
language associated with exports of popular culture, such as Disney cartoons and Hollywood
movies.
E) religious missionaries from every European country used English-language translations of the
Bible.
True or False
87) Language is a part of culture.
88) A language family is a collection of languages related through a common ancestral language
existing before recorded history.
89) Switzerland has four official languages.
90) Nearly half the people in the world speak an Indo-European language.
91) Germanic, Romance, and Latin are all branches of Indo-European.
92) One line of evidence suggests the first speakers of Indo-European were the Kurgans.
93) Indo-European divided into different branches because of the isolation of different cultural
groups.
94) The present distribution of languages around the world is due to technological advances and
the diffusion of popular culture.
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95) The Angles, Jutes, and Saxons were Celtic tribes who invaded England 1500 years ago.
96) The most frequently spoken Afro-Asiatic language is Arabic.
97) American spellings were differentiated from British spellings primarily because of U.S.
desires for an independent identity.
98) New Englanders use a different dialect of English than other Americans primarily because
their ancestors came from different regions of England.
99) African American Vernacular English is often directly associated with ebonics.
100) All languages have a literary tradition.
101) All literary traditions are disappearing.
102) The most spoken language in China is Cantonese.
103) Icelandic has probably changed less over time than any other Germanic language.
104) Basque is the only non-Indo-European language currently spoken in Europe.
105) Hebrew is an example of an extinct language.
106) English was spread around the world through the establishment of British colonies.
107) Regional dialects in England can be traced back to the settlement patterns of the Angles,
Saxons, and Jutes.
Short Answer
108) Name the world's second largest language family (used by nearly one-fourth of the world's
population).
109) Name the world's largest language family (used by nearly half of the world's population).
110) What geographic factor accounts for the fact that both Americans and the British speak
English?
111) What geographic factor accounts for the fact that both Americans and the British use
different dialects of English?
112) In what three ways does the English used in the United States differ from the English used
in the United Kingdom?
FRQ Type Concepts
113) How do we know that all Indo-European languages have a common ancestor?
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114) Evaluate the main differences between the two leading hypotheses concerning the origins of
the Indo-European language family. Name each and discuss its main characteristics.
Answer: Answers will vary but may note the following: The Nomadic Warrior hypothesis
espoused by Marija Gimbutas identifies the Kurgan people as the first Indo-European speakers.
Their homeland was in the Central Asian steppes around 4300 B.C. They were nomadic herders
of horses and cattle. Between 3500 and 2500 B.C., Kurgan warriors, using their domesticated
horses as weapons, conquered much of Europe and South Asia.
The Sedentary Farmer hypothesis espoused by Colin Renfrew argues that the first speakers of
Proto-Indo-European lived 2,000 years before the Kurgans, in eastern Anatolia. Biologist
Russell D. Gray supports the Renfrew position but dates the first speakers even earlier, at around
6700 B.C. Renfrew believes they diffused from Anatolia westward to Greece (the origin of the
Greek language branch) and from Greece westward toward Italy, Sicily, Corsica, the
Mediterranean coast of France, Spain, and Portugal (the origin of the Romance language branch).
From the Mediterranean coast, the speakers migrated northward toward central and northern
France and on to the British Isles (perhaps the origin of the Celtic language branch). Indo-
European is also said to have diffused northward from Greece toward the Danube River
(Romania) and westward to central Europe, according to Renfrew. From there the language
diffused northward toward the Baltic Sea.
115) Evaluating the maps of the main languages of Africa, what physical and/or cultural factors
may have accounted for the patterns of diffusion indicated there?
Answer: Answers will vary, but may note the spatial relationships between climatic zones,
deserts, mountains, etc., as well as historical processes, including Islamic expansion.
116) In what ways does your dialect of American or British English differ from those of your
classmates? From other English speakers that you have encountered? Provide several specific
examples of vocabulary, accents, or other differences, and attempt to account for these
differences in spatial terms (naming regions of origin). What geographic factors explain the
similarities and differences in these dialects?
20
117) In what ways does your dialect of American or British English differ from television or
radio spokespeople that you typically hear? What geographic or cultural factors might you
consider to explain the similarities and differences in these dialects? Give specific examples.
118) In what country do the Flemings and Walloons live, and what languages do they speak?
Imagine that you live along the cultural border between these two groups. Note and discuss at
least four examples of problems or tensions that you can imagine existing in such a border
region.
119) What are the future prospects for two or three large populations of non-English speakers in
North America? In your opinion, will their languages begin to overshadow English, or will other
changes occur? Provide examples and evidence from this chapter to sustain your opinion.
120) Think of two or three examples of foreign language use or fictitious languages that you
have seen or heard in film or television programs. How convincing are the actors' portrayals of
those languages? What clues indicate to you that the languages either seem authentic or fake?
Give specific names and examples to support your opinion.
121) Imagine that you were writing a science fiction book or a film script in which a fictitious
extraterrestrial language was to be created (at least in part). Assuming that you wish to create a
few phrases and terms of a fictitious language that does not resemble English and that sounds
unlike most other languages in common use today, how would you begin to create this "non-
Earth" language? Discuss some specific strategies or examples of terms or techniques that you
would employ.
122) Why do people in different regions of the United States speak English differently?
123) Discuss the implications of the role of English as the world's lingua franca, at a time when
other languages are becoming more common on the Internet. Give evidence from this chapter to
support your opinion about the future role(s) of English in the world.
