Glossary:Scope Ambiguity
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Scope Ambiguity
/skəʊp æmbigjʊɘti/
Definition
Scope ambiguities arise when the scope (scope: an area over which activity, capacity, or influence extends) of a part - or parts - of a sentence is unclear. Quantifiers (words like 'every') and negations often give rise to scope ambiguites.
Examples
Every man loves a woman
Not all that glitters is gold
Related terms
References
- Bieswanger, Markus/Becker, Annette (2008): Introduction to English Linguistics. 2te aktual. Aufl. A Francke Verlag, Tübingen und Basel., p. 155/156.
- Ambiguity in Utrecht University, Lexicon of Linguistics
- Thesaurus entry on 'scope'
- [1]