3.7 Key Notes Diffusion of Religion and Language

Which of the following best describes the impact of globalization on the Navajo people's language and culture?

• It has led to an increase in the number of Navajo speakers

• It has led to the preservation and revitalization of the Navajo language and culture

• It has led to the loss of the Navajo language and a central part of the group's history, ethnicity, and cultural identity

• It has had no impact on the Navajo language and culture

Answer explanation

like many indigenous groups around the world, face the loss of their native language and culture as a result of globalization. This process often occurs as small, isolated groups become integrated into larger societies and adopt the language of the majority, leading to the disuse and eventual extinction of the traditional language.

Which of the following is NOT a way that communication technologies are reshaping cultures and bringing changes to languages?

• Creating a sense of place

• Destroying age-old practices and languages

• Promoting the use of a common language

• Enhancing cultural exchange and understanding.

Answer explanation

As the Navajo example illustrates, language is essential to a group's culture. It creates a sense of place and a cultural landscape. However, the statement in the question states that communication technologies are reshaping cultures and bringing drastic changes to languages. Some of these changes can contribute to destroying age-old practices and languages. In this context, the answer choice A "Creating a sense of place" doesn't align with the statement that communication technologies are reshaping cultures and bringing changes to languages.

What are some of the global forces that have shaped the development of language throughout history?

• Conquest and imperialism

• Trade and colonialism

• Instant communication and globalization

• All of the above

Answer explanation

The correct answer is "D) All of the above" because the passage states that a variety of global forces, including conquest, colonialism, imperialism, trade, and instant communication, have shaped the development of language throughout history. These forces have caused languages to spread from their culture hearths and be influenced by a multitude of local, international, and global factors.

Which of the following theories do linguists currently propose as the means of how language diffused among early humans?

• Through the dispersion of people who carried language with them as they spread across the planet

• Through transmission, as people learned language from their neighbors

• Through conquest, with one people imposing language on others

• All of these

What do linguists believe about the origin of languages?

• All languages descended from one original language

• All languages are unrelated

• Most languages can be grouped into about 15 language families

• All languages developed independently

Answer explanation

The correct answer is (c) Most languages can be grouped into about 15 language families. This is stated in the passage, "They do agree that nearly all of the languages spoken today can be grouped into about 15 language families." The passage also mentions that the relationship among these language families is often shown on a language tree, which further supports this idea. The other options, while they may be possible theories, are not specifically mentioned in the passage and are therefore not the correct answer.

Which of the following best explains the distribution of languages in Europe?

• The migration of people from Central Asia to Central Europe around 1,500 years ago

• The spread of a particular language from one country to another over time

• The influence of colonialism on language development

• A combination of all of the above

Answer explanation

The correct answer is A) The migration of people from Central Asia to Central Europe around 1,500 years ago. This is because the passage states that the migration of the Huns from Central Asia to Central Europe around 1,500 years ago explains why the languages most like Hungarian are found nearly 3,000 miles east of Hungary. The other options (B, C, D) are not mentioned in the passage and therefore do not provide an accurate explanation for the distribution of languages in Europe according to the passage.

Which of the following is true about the Indo-European language family?

• It is a small group of languages that might have descended from a language spoken around 6,000 years ago.

• Nearly half of the world's population speaks one of the languages of the Indo-European language family.

• The Indo-European language family includes about 2.8 billion native speakers of between 100 and 200 languages.

• The Indo-European language family is not one of the 15 major language families.

Answer explanation

he correct answer is B) Nearly half of the world's population speaks one of the languages of the Indo-European language family. This is because the passage states that "Nearly half of the world's population speaks one of the languages of the Indo-European language family."

Which of the following best describes the challenges of studying languages.

• Languages are difficult to study because they are constantly changing.

• Languages are difficult to study because they are only spoken in certain regions.

• Languages are difficult to study because they are not well-documented.

• Languages are difficult to study because they are not related to each other.

Answer explanation

The answer is A) Languages are difficult to study because they are constantly changing.

Which of the following is NOT a Romance language that developed from Latin after the decline of the Roman Empire?

• Portuguese

• Spanish

• French

• German

Answer explanation

The answer is E. German. German is not a Romance language, it is a Germanic language. It did not develop from Latin, but from a different branch of the Indo-European language family.

Which of the following statements best explains the relationship between English and Latin based on the passage?

• English is a direct descendant of Latin

• English evolved from a Germanic language but has been heavily influenced by Latin

• English and Latin have similar words but this does not indicate a direct relationship

• English evolved from Latin but has been heavily influenced by Germanic languages.

Answer explanation

English words such as father and mother are similar to Latin words, but words such as bread and wolf are not. This suggests that English is not a direct descendant of Latin. English evolved from a Germanic language but has been heavily influenced by Romance languages such as French. It is important to note that Latin was the language that Romance languages like French, Italian and Spanish are derived from.