In linguistics, an expression is semantically ambiguous when it can have multiple meanings. The higher the amount of synonyms a word has, the higher the degree of ambiguity.[1] Like other kinds of ambiguity, semantic ambiguities are often clarified by context or by prosody. One's comprehension of a sentence in which a semantically ambiguous word is used is strongly influenced by the general structure of the sentence.[2] The language itself is sometimes a contributing factor in the overall effect of semantic ambiguity, in the sense that the level of ambiguity in the context can change depending on whether or not a language boundary is crossed.[3]
Lexical ambiguity is a subtype of semantic ambiguity where a word or morpheme is ambiguous. When a lexical ambiguity results from a single word having two senses, it is called polysemy. For instance, the English "foot" is polysemous since in general it refers to the base of an object, but can refer more specifically to the foot of a person or the foot of a pot. When an ambiguity instead results from two separate words which happen to be pronounced the same way, it is called homonymy. For instance, the English word "row" can denote the action of rowing or to an arrangement of objects. In practice, polysemy and homonymy can be difficult to distinguish.[4]
Phrases and sentences can also be semantically ambiguous, particularly when there are multiple ways of semantically combining its subparts.[5] For instance, the English sentence "Everybody isn't here" is ambiguous between an interpretation where not everybody is here and another interpretation where nobody is. This ambiguity is an example of scope ambiguity, a phenomenon widely studied in formal semantics. De re/de dicto ambiguity is another notable example of sentence-level ambiguity which has received much attention in linguistics and philosophy. In some analyses, such ambiguities are the semantic reflexes of syntactic ambiguities, though in other approaches they are not.[6]
Notesedit
^Hoffman, Paul; Lambon Ralph, Matthew A.; Rogers, Timothy T. (2013-09-01). "Semantic diversity: A measure of semantic ambiguity based on variability in the contextual usage of words". Behavior Research Methods. 45 (3): 718–730. doi:10.3758/s13428-012-0278-x. ISSN 1554-3528. PMID 23239067.
^Zempleni, Monika-Zita; Renken, Remco; Hoeks, John C. J.; Hoogduin, Johannes M.; Stowe, Laurie A. (2007-02-01). "Semantic ambiguity processing in sentence context: Evidence from event-related fMRI". NeuroImage. 34 (3): 1270–1279. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2006.09.048. ISSN 1053-8119. PMID 17142061. S2CID 7479268.
^Degani, Tamar; Tokowicz, Natasha (July 2010). "Semantic Ambiguity within and across Languages: An Integrative Review". Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology. 63 (7): 1266–1303. doi:10.1080/17470210903377372. ISSN 1747-0218. PMID 19953429. S2CID 41381832.
^Kroeger, Paul (2019). Analyzing Meaning. Language Science Press. pp. 89–94. ISBN978-3-96110-136-8.
semantic, ambiguity, linguistics, expression, semantically, ambiguous, when, have, multiple, meanings, higher, amount, synonyms, word, higher, degree, ambiguity, like, other, kinds, ambiguity, semantic, ambiguities, often, clarified, context, prosody, comprehe. In linguistics an expression is semantically ambiguous when it can have multiple meanings The higher the amount of synonyms a word has the higher the degree of ambiguity 1 Like other kinds of ambiguity semantic ambiguities are often clarified by context or by prosody One s comprehension of a sentence in which a semantically ambiguous word is used is strongly influenced by the general structure of the sentence 2 The language itself is sometimes a contributing factor in the overall effect of semantic ambiguity in the sense that the level of ambiguity in the context can change depending on whether or not a language boundary is crossed 3 Lexical ambiguity is a subtype of semantic ambiguity where a word or morpheme is ambiguous When a lexical ambiguity results from a single word having two senses it is called polysemy For instance the English foot is polysemous since in general it refers to the base of an object but can refer more specifically to the foot of a person or the foot of a pot When an ambiguity instead results from two separate words which happen to be pronounced the same way it is called homonymy For instance the English word row can denote the action of rowing or to an arrangement of objects In practice polysemy and homonymy can be difficult to distinguish 4 Phrases and sentences can also be semantically ambiguous particularly when there are multiple ways of semantically combining its subparts 5 For instance the English sentence Everybody isn t here is ambiguous between an interpretation where not everybody is here and another interpretation where nobody is This ambiguity is an example of scope ambiguity a phenomenon widely studied in formal semantics De re de dicto ambiguity is another notable example of sentence level ambiguity which has received much attention in linguistics and philosophy In some analyses such ambiguities are the semantic reflexes of syntactic ambiguities though in other approaches they are not 6 Notes edit Hoffman Paul Lambon Ralph Matthew A Rogers Timothy T 2013 09 01 Semantic diversity A measure of semantic ambiguity based on variability in the contextual usage of words Behavior Research Methods 45 3 718 730 doi 10 3758 s13428 012 0278 x ISSN 1554 3528 PMID 23239067 Zempleni Monika Zita Renken Remco Hoeks John C J Hoogduin Johannes M Stowe Laurie A 2007 02 01 Semantic ambiguity processing in sentence context Evidence from event related fMRI NeuroImage 34 3 1270 1279 doi 10 1016 j neuroimage 2006 09 048 ISSN 1053 8119 PMID 17142061 S2CID 7479268 Degani Tamar Tokowicz Natasha July 2010 Semantic Ambiguity within and across Languages An Integrative Review Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology 63 7 1266 1303 doi 10 1080 17470210903377372 ISSN 1747 0218 PMID 19953429 S2CID 41381832 Kroeger Paul 2019 Analyzing Meaning Language Science Press pp 89 94 ISBN 978 3 96110 136 8 Heim Irene Kratzer Angelika 1998 Semantics in Generative Grammar Oxford Wiley Blackwell pp 137 138 Heim Irene Kratzer Angelika 1998 Semantics in Generative Grammar Oxford Wiley Blackwell pp 193 204 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Semantic ambiguity amp oldid 1143320740, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
