Glossary:Ambiguity
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The following material is an adapted form of material created by student participants of the project e-Learning Resources for Semantics (e-LRS).
Involved participants: Nicki, Marc M, Leo, Anna Böcher, Lorena
Ambiguity
[æmbigjʊɘti]
Definition
Ambiguous words and sentences have more than one meaning, i.e. they can be interpreted in more than one way. Ambiguities can arise on the level of lexemes, morphemes and syntax. However, usually one can infer from the context which meaning an ambiguous word has to have in a particular case.
Examples
- lexical ambiguity: Where´s the party?
- structural ambiguity: Anna saw the tourists with binoculars.
Related Terms
homonym
homophony
lexical ambiguity
polysemy
structural ambiguity
Literature
- Bieswanger, Markus & Annette Becker. 2006. Introduction to English Linguistics (3rd edition). Tübingen and Basel: A. Francke Verlag.
- Kortmann, Bernd. 2005. English Linguistics: Essentials. Berlin: Cornelsen Verlag.
- Fromkin, Victoria; Rodman, Robert & Hyams, Nina. 2003. An Introduction to Language (7th edition). Boston: Thomson Heinle.
- Matthias Bauer, Joachim Knape, Peter Koch, Susanne Winkler (2010): Dimensionen der Ambiguität. Zeitschrift für Literaturwissenschaft und Linguistik 158, 7-75.
Links
"ambiguity" in Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
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