SEM131 - Ambiguity

Summary

The video discusses various types of ambiguity in language, highlighting how context influences meaning. It explores lexical ambiguity, where words can have multiple meanings; structural ambiguity, which arises from sentence structure; referential ambiguity related to pronouns; scope ambiguity involving quantifiers; and pragmatic ambiguity, where context alters interpretation. Through examples, the presentation illustrates how ambiguity can lead to distinct interpretations, showcasing the complexity of language. Additionally, it briefly mentions vagueness as a related phenomenon, setting the stage for further exploration of these linguistic concepts.

Takeaways

• 😀 Ambiguity is a phenomenon where expressions can have two or more distinct meanings.
• 😀 Lexical ambiguity occurs when a word has multiple meanings, such as 'glasses' referring to both eyewear and drinking vessels.
• 😀 Structural ambiguity arises from the arrangement of words in a sentence, leading to different interpretations.
• 😀 Referential ambiguity happens when a pronoun can refer to more than one entity, making it unclear who or what is being referenced.
• 😀 Scope ambiguity occurs with quantifiers and numerals, where the meaning changes based on their arrangement in a sentence.
• 😀 Pragmatic ambiguity depends on context, where the same phrase can have different meanings based on the situation and speaker's intent.
• 😀 Homonyms are words that share the same form but have unrelated meanings, while polysemy involves a single word with related meanings.
• 😀 Homophones and homographs are subcategories of homonyms, distinguished by pronunciation and spelling, respectively.
• 😀 Examples like 'the chicken is ready to eat' illustrate structural ambiguity, allowing multiple interpretations based on phrasing.
• 😀 Understanding ambiguity is essential in linguistics, as it highlights the complexity and richness of language.

Q & A

What is ambiguity in language?

Ambiguity refers to a situation where an expression can have two or more distinct meanings. It occurs at various levels of language and is resolved when the context allows one meaning to be automatically chosen.

How does context resolve ambiguity?

Ambiguity is typically resolved by context, which provides enough information to select the most appropriate meaning. In some cases, alternative meanings may not even come to mind if the context is clear enough.

What is lexical ambiguity?

Lexical ambiguity occurs when a single word has multiple meanings. For example, 'glasses' can mean either the cutlery or a vision tool.

What is the difference between homonymy and polysemy?

Homonymy occurs when words with the same form have unrelated meanings (e.g., 'bank' as a financial institution or the side of a river). Polysemy refers to words with multiple related meanings (e.g., 'face' meaning both the face of a clock and the human face).

What are homophones and homographs?

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different spellings, like 'male' (human attribute) and 'mail' (correspondence). Homographs are words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently, like 'tear' (a drop of water from the eye) and 'tear' (to rip).

What is structural ambiguity?

Structural ambiguity arises when the structure or syntax of a sentence allows for multiple interpretations. For example, 'old men and women' can mean either old men and women of any age or old men and women who are all old.

How does structural ambiguity work with compound words?

Compound words can have different interpretations depending on their structure. For example, 'porcelain egg container' could mean a container for porcelain eggs or an egg container made of porcelain.

What is referential ambiguity?

Referential ambiguity occurs when a word, usually a pronoun, can refer to more than one entity in a sentence. For example, 'John kissed his girlfriend' is ambiguous because it's unclear whether John kissed his own girlfriend or someone else's.

What is scope ambiguity?

Scope ambiguity arises when the relationship between quantifiers or numerals in a sentence is unclear. For example, 'every child likes a book' can mean either that all children like the same book or that each child likes a different book.

What is pragmatic ambiguity?

Pragmatic ambiguity occurs when the meaning of a sentence depends on the context in which it is used. For instance, 'Do you have a life insurance?' can be interpreted as an offer, a request, or a threat, depending on the situation.