Question

Before we leave this place, we always visit my great-grandmother’s buckskin dress. We mount the stairs and walk through the museum’s main hall—past the dinosaur bones all strung together, and the stuffed elephants lifting their trunks in a mute trumpet.

Answer choices for the above question:
A. noun | a person lacking the ability to speak.
B. noun | a device on a TV, phone, or other appliance that turns off the sound.
C. adjective | characterized by an absence of sound.
D. adjective | refraining from talking, speechless.

Answer 1

The term 'mute' as used in the passage refers to an adjective meaning 'refraining from talking, speechless.' Words for family members are more likely to be borrowed as they can represent close cultural interactions, unlike pronouns. Language is closely connected to culture and evolves to incorporate new terms reflecting societal changes.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term 'mute' in the context of the passage provided can be defined using one of the answer choices provided.

When describing the stuffed elephants as lifting their trunks in a 'mute trumpet,' it suggests that there is an absence of sound, hence the correct answer would be: 'D. adjective | refraining from talking, speechless.'

In the context of language evolution and the borrowing of words, pronouns are less likely to be borrowed from other languages because they are deeply integrated into the grammatical system of a language, whereas vocabulary items such as words for family members may be borrowed when cultures interact closely, especially through family ties.

Nouns form a significant part of human language and can be material items or grammatical terms. Pronunciation of words may vary, such as the grandmother, where the '' sound is often dropped.

Language and culture are deeply intertwined, with local dialects determining the specific words used for common items and practices, showing language's constant evolution and adaptation to new circumstances.