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Question

Difficulty: HardCommand of Evidence: Textual

In historical linguistics, researchers have debated why certain phonetic features are preserved over millennia while others shift rapidly. Linguist Dr. Aris Thorne hypothesized that phonetic features crucial for distinguishing morphologically dense word forms—where a sound change would collapse grammatical distinctions among multiple related words—are significantly more resistant to sound change over time than features in morphologically sparse word forms, where sound changes do not affect grammatical structures. Which finding from historical linguistic databases, if true, would most directly support Thorne's hypothesis?

  1. A
    Languages with high morphological density generally experience faster overall vocabulary growth and borrow fewer words from neighboring languages than languages with low morphological density do.
  2. B
    Linguists analyzing ancient texts determined that speakers of morphologically dense languages were historically more likely to resist external cultural influences, suggesting a cognitive preference for preserving native speech structures.
  3. Across several language families, phonetic contrasts that distinguish grammatical categories in morphologically dense verbs were preserved at a significantly higher rate over two thousand years than the same phonetic contrasts when they occurred in morphologically simple nouns.Answer
  4. D
    Phonetic features that distinguish morphologically sparse word forms were found to undergo sound shifts far less frequently over time than features that are exclusive to morphologically dense word forms.

Answer

The finding that phonetic contrasts in morphologically dense verbs are preserved at a higher rate than the same contrasts in morphologically simple nouns.
The correct answer directly supports the hypothesis by providing data showing that phonetic contrasts are preserved at a higher rate when they carry grammatical meaning in morphologically dense forms (verbs) than when the exact same contrasts occur in morphologically simple forms (nouns). This empirical finding aligns with the prediction that grammatical importance prevents sound change.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the core hypothesis proposed by Dr. Thorne in the passage.
Thorne claims that phonetic features crucial for distinguishing morphologically dense word forms (where sound changes affect grammatical meaning) are more resistant to change than features in morphologically sparse word forms (where changes do not affect grammatical structure).
Understanding the specific hypothesis is necessary to determine what evidence would support it.
2
Analyze each option to see which one provides empirical evidence aligning with this hypothesis.
The option comparing phonetic contrasts in morphologically dense verbs to the same contrasts in morphologically simple nouns directly supports the claim by showing higher preservation in the dense grammatical forms.
Evaluating findings against the hypothesis reveals which data strengthens the researcher's claim.

Key Concept

Identifying textual evidence that supports a researcher's hypothesis.
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Topics

Command of Evidence: Textual

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