Language familyWord (language)English translationProposed origin in vocabulary of the Totozoquean language familyMuskogeantanchi' (Chickasaw); tanchi ...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
| Language family | Word (language) | English translation | Proposed origin in vocabulary of the Totozoquean language family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muskogean | tanchi' (Chickasaw); tanchi (Choctaw); vce (Muscogee, pronounced 'uh-chi') | corn | no |
| Iroquoian | se-lu (Cherokee) | corn | no |
| Caddoan | -k'as- (Caddo) | dried corn | yes |
| Chitimacha | k'asma (Chitimacha) | corn | yes |
In Caddo, a language from what is now the US Southeast, vocabulary pertaining to corn cultivation resembles equivalent vocabulary in the Totozoquean language family in Mexico. This resemblance is perhaps attributable to cultural contact: such words could have entered Caddo through the intermediary of the neighboring but unrelated Chitimacha language, concurrent with the dissemination of corn itself from Mexico into the Southeast after 700 CE. That the vocabulary pertaining to domestic crops accompanies them as they diffuse into new regions is an established phenomenon globally. Crops may also be decoupled from vocabulary altogether: corn cultivation became ubiquitous among the Southeastern tribes, yet ______.
Which choice most effectively uses data from the table to complete the statement?
the origins of vocabulary pertaining to the crop vary across languages in the region, with the words for corn in Cherokee and the Muskogean languages showing no demonstrable relationship to Totozoquean vocabulary.
the region is linguistically diverse, being home not only to Chitimacha and Caddo, but also to the Muskogean language family (including Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Muscogee) and to one Iroquoian language (Cherokee).
corn-related vocabulary underwent changes when entering other, unrelated languages, as can be seen by the divergence of the Caddo word from the Chitimacha word it originated in.
words for corn in the languages of the Muskogean family evolved from a common root, with the Muscogee word having lost certain consonant sounds still present in the Chickasaw and Choctaw words.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "In Caddo, a language from what is now the US Southeast, vocabulary pertaining to corn cultivation resembles equivalent vocabulary in the Totozoquean language family in Mexico." |
|
| "This resemblance is perhaps attributable to cultural contact: such words could have entered Caddo through the intermediary of the neighboring but unrelated Chitimacha language, concurrent with the dissemination of corn itself from Mexico into the Southeast after 700 CE." |
|
| "That the vocabulary pertaining to domestic crops accompanies them as they diffuse into new regions is an established phenomenon globally." |
|
| "Crops may also be decoupled from vocabulary altogether: corn cultivation became ubiquitous among the Southeastern tribes, yet ______." |
|
Part B: Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: While crop-related vocabulary often accompanies the spread of crops themselves, the case of corn in the Southeast demonstrates that crops and vocabulary can sometimes become decoupled during diffusion.
Argument Flow: The passage starts with a specific observation about vocabulary similarities between distant languages, proposes cultural contact as the mechanism, notes this follows a global pattern, then pivots to show an exception where crops spread without uniform vocabulary adoption.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The sentence sets up a contrast: "vocabulary usually travels with crops, BUT corn became widespread yet ______." We need to complete this contrast by showing that vocabulary did NOT uniformly travel with corn in the Southeast.
- Looking at our table data, we can see that some languages (Caddo, Chitimacha) have Totozoquean-origin vocabulary while others (Muskogean languages, Cherokee) do not. This creates the perfect contrast - corn cultivation spread everywhere, but the vocabulary origins varied significantly.
- The right answer should reference the table data to show that despite widespread corn cultivation, different Southeastern languages ended up with different vocabulary origins - some connected to Totozoquean, others not.
the origins of vocabulary pertaining to the crop vary across languages in the region, with the words for corn in Cherokee and the Muskogean languages showing no demonstrable relationship to Totozoquean vocabulary.
- Directly uses table data showing Cherokee and Muskogean languages have "no" Totozoquean connection.
- Perfectly completes the contrast - corn spread everywhere but vocabulary origins varied.
- Demonstrates the "decoupling" concept by showing these major language groups developed different vocabulary despite widespread corn adoption.
the region is linguistically diverse, being home not only to Chitimacha and Caddo, but also to the Muskogean language family (including Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Muscogee) and to one Iroquoian language (Cherokee).
- Simply describes linguistic diversity in the region.
- Doesn't address the vocabulary-crop relationship or complete the contrast about decoupling.
- Lists language families but ignores the crucial Totozoquean origin data.
corn-related vocabulary underwent changes when entering other, unrelated languages, as can be seen by the divergence of the Caddo word from the Chitimacha word it originated in.
- Discusses vocabulary changes between related languages (Caddo vs Chitimacha).
- Misses the point about decoupling - this actually shows vocabulary traveling between languages.
- Doesn't create the needed contrast with widespread corn adoption.
words for corn in the languages of the Muskogean family evolved from a common root, with the Muscogee word having lost certain consonant sounds still present in the Chickasaw and Choctaw words.
- Focuses on evolution within the Muskogean language family itself.
- Completely ignores the Totozoquean origin question that's central to the passage.
- This trap represents students focusing on interesting linguistic details rather than data that directly answers the question.