Ambiguity

Abstract

Ambiguity is one of the most important aspects of natural language, but one of the most difficult to define and distinguish from related (and unrelated) phenomena. In this chapter, ambiguity is first differentiated from other sources of indeterminacy, such as unspecificity, and other sources of indefiniteness, such as vagueness. Different types of ambiguity – in particular homonymy and polysemy – are then discussed, starting with data about lexical ambiguity, and characterized using both linguistic and cognitive evidence; but it is emphasized that the distinction is not always obvious. Several non‐lexical types of ambiguity are then discussed, including referential, scopal, and collective/distributive/cumulative ambiguity. The preliminary definition of ambiguity is then supplemented in order to account for these distinctions, arguing for an approach in which the distinction between the types of ambiguity is based in part on pragmatic considerations. Finally, the extent to which speakers and listeners adhere to Grice's “Avoid Ambiguity” maxim is questioned, on the basis of evidence about deliberate ambiguity and “good enough” interpretations.