ambiguity
- ambiguity
ambiguity
1. Ambiguity in language denotes the possibility of more than one meaning being understood from what is heard or read. Intentional ambiguity can be effective, for example as a literary device or in advertising. Our concern here is with unintentional and misleading ambiguity that occurs in ordinary speech and writing, most often as a result of poor word order. The Fowlers (1906) devoted several pages to ambiguities of this kind, but their (mostly literary) examples now seem contrived and unreal, as do many of the examples given in grammar books.
2. Typical ambiguities in everyday language usually involve the association of a word or phrase with the wrong part of the sentence (
The council plans to notify parents whose children are affected by post, where
by post should be placed after
parents), or the unclear application of a negative (
They did not go out to water the plants, which can mean either they did not go out at all, or they did go out but not to water the plants; similarly with the type
We did not go to the shops because we were expecting visitors: see
because 2).
3. Ambiguity also arises from words that have more than one meaning or function, as in Visiting friends can be tiresome / the famous line The peasants are revolting / The Minister appealed to her supporters, and from false or unclear reference, as in If the children don't like their toys, get rid of them / We only have two first editions (and no other books?).
In speech, ambiguity is nearly always eliminated by intonation; in writing, attention to these relatively few problem areas will be enough to avoid the ambiguities that matter.
Modern English usage.
2014.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
ambiguity — I noun abstruseness, ambiguitas, bafflement, bewilderment, confounded meaning, confused meaning, confusion, disconcertion, doubtful meaning, doubtfulness, dubiety, dubiousness, duplexity in meaning, equivocalness, equivocation, incertitude,… … Law dictionary
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Ambiguity — Am bi*gu i*ty, n.; pl. {Ambiguities}. [L. ambiguitas, fr. ambiguus: cf. F. ambiguit[ e].] The quality or state of being ambiguous; doubtfulness or uncertainty, particularly as to the signification of language, arising from its admitting of more… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
ambiguity — (n.) c.1400, uncertainty, doubt, also capability of having two meanings, from M.L. ambiguitatem (nom. ambiguitas) double meaning, noun of state from ambiguus (see AMBIGUOUS (Cf. ambiguous)) … Etymology dictionary
ambiguity — [n] uncertainty of meaning doubleentendre, double meaning, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiety, dubiousness, enigma, equivocacy, equivocality, equivocation, incertitude, inconclusiveness, indefiniteness, indeterminateness, obscurity, puzzle,… … New thesaurus
ambiguity — ► NOUN (pl. ambiguities) ▪ uncertain or inexact meaning … English terms dictionary
ambiguity — [am΄bə gyo͞o′ə tē] n. [ME ambiguite < L ambiguitas] 1. the quality or state of being ambiguous 2. pl. ambiguities an ambiguous word, statement, etc … English World dictionary
Ambiguity — Sir John Tenniel s illustration of the Caterpillar for Lewis Carroll s Alice s Adventures in Wonderland is noted for its ambiguous central figure, whose head can be viewed as being a human male s face with a pointed nose and pointy chin or being… … Wikipedia
