In a certain code language, 'dom put ta' means 'bring hot food'; 'put tir sop' means 'food is good' and 'tak da sop' means 'good bright boy'. Based on this information, which of the following code words definitely means 'hot' in that language?

Introduction / Context:
This coding–decoding question uses small phrases where each word is represented by a code word. We are given three coded sentences and their meanings in English. The task is to determine which specific code word stands for the English word 'hot'. Unlike many similar questions, here there is not enough information to uniquely map 'hot' to a single code, and recognising this insufficiency is exactly what the examiner wants to test.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• 'dom put ta' means 'bring hot food'.
• 'put tir sop' means 'food is good'.
• 'tak da sop' means 'good bright boy'.
• Each English word corresponds to exactly one code word and vice versa.
• Within each phrase, the order of code words does not matter for solving the mapping.

Concept / Approach:
We use set intersection logic. Common words in English phrases must correspond to common code words in the coded phrases. By examining the overlaps, we can identify some specific mappings like the code for 'food' and 'good'. After that, we see what remains for other words like 'bring' and 'hot'. If two unknown English words both correspond to two unknown code words without any extra information, we cannot distinguish which is which. In such a case, the correct answer is that the data is insufficient.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Compare 'bring hot food' (dom put ta) with 'food is good' (put tir sop). The common English word is 'food'. Step 2: The common code word between dom put ta and put tir sop is 'put'. Therefore, 'put' stands for 'food'. Step 3: Compare 'food is good' (put tir sop) with 'good bright boy' (tak da sop). The common English word is 'good'. Step 4: The common code word between put tir sop and tak da sop is 'sop'. Hence, 'sop' stands for 'good'. Step 5: In 'dom put ta' we now know 'put' is 'food', so the remaining code words 'dom' and 'ta' represent 'bring' and 'hot' in some order. Step 6: There is no further sentence involving 'dom' or 'ta' that could help us decide which one is 'hot' and which one is 'bring'.

Verification / Alternative check:
Try assigning 'dom' as 'hot' and 'ta' as 'bring'; then the first sentence becomes 'bring hot food' correctly. If we swap them, letting 'dom' mean 'bring' and 'ta' mean 'hot', the sentence still translates to 'bring hot food'. Both assignments satisfy all given conditions. Since two different mappings work equally well, the information does not uniquely determine which code stands for 'hot'.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: dom could mean 'hot', but it could also mean 'bring', so we cannot be sure. Option B: pul does not appear in any of the given coded phrases, so it cannot be identified as 'hot'. Option C: ta is also one of the two candidates, but just like dom, it cannot be uniquely fixed as 'hot'. Option E: tak appears in the third sentence and is related to 'bright' or 'boy', not 'hot'.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often feel compelled to choose a particular code word (usually dom or ta) as 'hot' without checking whether the alternative assignment is also possible. Another mistake is ignoring the possibility that the data might be intentionally insufficient. In such coding–decoding questions, recognising that the correct logical answer is 'Can't be determined' is an important skill.

Final Answer:
The given information does not uniquely determine the code for 'hot', so the correct choice is Can't be determined.