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Componential Analysis

The document outlines a 45-minute test focused on componential analysis in linguistics, featuring multiple-choice questions and short answer prompts. It covers key concepts such as structuralist linguistics, the relationship between signification and sense, and the application of structural methods to semantics. Additionally, it includes an essay question that encourages the application of these concepts to specific language examples, highlighting the influence of cultural and linguistic differences on lexical structures.

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Tatiana Teplic
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27 views2 pages

Componential Analysis

The document outlines a 45-minute test focused on componential analysis in linguistics, featuring multiple-choice questions and short answer prompts. It covers key concepts such as structuralist linguistics, the relationship between signification and sense, and the application of structural methods to semantics. Additionally, it includes an essay question that encourages the application of these concepts to specific language examples, highlighting the influence of cultural and linguistic differences on lexical structures.

Uploaded by

Tatiana Teplic
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Componential Analysis – 45-Minute Test

I. Multiple Choice (10 points – 1 point each)

Choose the best answer for each question.

1. What is the main concern of structuralist linguistics according to the text?


A) Psychological factors in language
B) The study of meaning through direct observation
C) The systemic structure of language
D) Evolution of language over time
2. Ferdinand de Saussure emphasized that vocabulary should not be seen as:
A) A functional unit
B) A grammatical system
C) A mere catalogue
D) A list of definitions
3. Which of the following terms is most closely associated with identifying paradigms in
language?
A) Saussure
B) Hjelmslev
C) Melcuk
D) Chitoran
4. The method of identifying natural semantic series includes:
A) Pronoun categories
B) Conjugation systems
C) Kinship terms and spatial orientation
D) Written and spoken dialects
5. According to Hjelmslev, what characterizes the sense of a word?
A) Its universal invariant
B) Its structure in the lexicon
C) Its empirical and variable nature
D) Its part in syntactic structure
6. What is the relationship between signification and sense in glossematics?
A) They are interchangeable
B) Signification is a type of sense
C) Sense is an invariant form of signification
D) Signification refers to form, sense to substance
7. Which school of thought supports isomorphism between expression and content levels?
A) Functionalism
B) Structuralism
C) Glossemantic School
D) Post-structuralism
8. According to Melcuk, a set of objects forms a system if:
A) It has more objects than rules
B) It cannot be described by any rules
C) Rules equal the number of objects
D) There are no rules governing them
9. What does the term commutation relate to in this context?
A) Substitution among variant senses
B) Switching meanings in syntax
C) Contrast between grammatical cases
D) Relation among invariant significations
10. What does glossematics prioritize in linguistic analysis?
A) Substance over form
B) Vocabulary over phonetics
C) Form over substance
D) Empirical data over theory

II. Short Answer (20 points – 5 points each)

Answer the following questions in 2–4 sentences.

11. Why is it difficult to prove that the lexicon of a language has a systemic character?
12. Explain how componential analysis applies structural methods used in phonology and
grammar to the study of semantics.
13. What distinction does Hjelmslev make between signification and sense, and why is this
significant for semantics?
14. Why does Hjelmslev consider lexicology more a sociological discipline than a linguistic
one?

III. Application Question (15 points)

15. (Essay-style – 15 points, 15 minutes suggested time)


Using the example of the Romanian-English-Russian triad (palmă, mână, braţ / hand /
pyka, arm), explain how componential analysis and structuralism help us understand the
organization of semantic fields. Discuss what this reveals about the concepts of invariants
(significations) and variants (senses), and how cultural or linguistic differences may
influence lexical structures.

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