On The Communicative Functions of Ambiguity in English
Abstract: Ambiguity is an important feature of our language. And it is also an interesting topic and its study has a long tradition. Many scholars have been researching it from different points of view. The discussion about linguistic ambiguity is not new, so this paper will give a brief introduction of the definition of ambiguity. The classification of ambiguity has been divided into four parts: phonological ambiguity, lexical ambiguity, syntactic ambiguity and pragmatic ambiguity. Furthermore, the cause of ambiguity has been discussed from different studies in the field. At last, application of linguistic ambiguity is naturally talked about. Linguistic ambiguity can be seen as a sword that has two blades. The negative side should be avoided to make our writing or speech more accurate. The positive side should be studied to make use of it in literature words which will become more interesting and vivid. That is why we have to do our utmost to study ambiguity in English. The last part of this paper will give some methods to avoid the ambiguity and to appreciate the ambiguous “beauty”.
Key Words: ambiguity; classifications; cause; communicative functions; elimination methods
英语歧义交际功能的研究
摘 要：任何语言都有歧义现象，英语也不例外。Kess 和koppe显著在其专著Ambiguity in Psycholinguistics 一书中甚至提出“语言无处不歧义”的理论。 本文不仅仅局限于歧义类型的总结、歧义现象的描述，而且将其置于实际的交际使用中加以探讨。本文首先在第一章简单阐述了“歧义”的概念；同时简单了歧义的四大类型 ，分别为语音歧义，词汇歧义，句法歧义，和语用歧义。接着第二章从不同的角度分析了歧义形成的原因，其中乔姆斯机转换生成语法的表层结构和深层结构理论以及冯志伟的潜在歧义结构理论对歧义的形成原因有很强的解释力。然后在接下来的第三章着重研究歧义的两种功能，积极功能和消极功能。最后在第四章中运用一些方法消除消极歧义，以达到歧义“美”的效果。
关键词：歧义；类型；成因；交际功能；消歧
CONTENTS
Introduction 1
1. The Definition and Classifications of “Ambiguity” 1
1.1 The Definition of Ambiguity 1
1.2 The Classifications of “Ambiguity” 2
1.2.1 Phonetic or Phonological Ambiguity 2
1.2.2 Lexical Ambiguity 2
1.2.3 Syntactic Ambiguity 3
1.2.4 Pragmatic Ambiguity 4
2. The Cause of Ambiguity 5
2.1 N. Chomsky and His Theory of Transformational-generative Grammar 5
2.2 Feng Zhiwei and PA (Potential Ambiguity) Theory 6
3. The Communicative Functions of Ambiguity 8
3.1 The Positive Functions of Ambiguity 8
3.1.1 Ambiguity in English Rhetoric Devices 8
3.1.1.1 Ambiguity and Metaphor 8
3.1.1.2 Ambiguity and Pun 9
3.1.1.3 Ambiguity and Irony 10
3.1.1.4 Ambiguity and Euphemism 10
3.1.2 Ambiguity in Advertisement 11
3.1.2.1 Adia 11
3.1.2.2 Employing Negative Sentences 11
3.1.2.3 Assigning Literal Meanings 12
3.1.2.4 Conveying Covert Information 12
3.1.2.5 Winning New Buyers Without Alienating Previous Buyers 14
3.2 The Negative Functions of Ambiguity 15
3.2.1 Phonetic or Phonological 15
3.2.2 Lexical 15
3.2.3 Syntactic Structure 16
3.2.4 Rhetoric Area 16
3.2.5 Respect Cultural Differences 16
4. The Elimination Methods of Ambiguity 17
4.1 The Elimination Methods of Phonological Ambiguity 17
4.2 The Elimination Methods of Lexical Ambiguity 18
4.3 The Elimination Methods of Grammatical Ambiguity 18
4.4 Context Analysis is An Important Means in The Identification and Elimination of Ambiguity 18
Conclusion 19
Bibliography 22
