Essay On Ambiguity
Ambiguity v. Generality
An ambiguous word is one that has multiple definitions and can only be understood in context. For example, the word “weight” is ambiguous because it carries different meanings depending on the context it is used in. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, there are multiple definitions for the word “weight”. The first of which defines weight as the amount of how heavy a thing is, or how much it weighs. A different definition, however, for “weight” is a specific burden or pressure put upon someone. In order to understand the meaning of the word “weight”, context must be given. If I were to tell someone “my weight is 147 pounds”, it is more clear to them that I am using the word according to its first definition. Likewise, if I were to say “I have a weight of responsibilities this weekend”, it is more clear that I am using the word in coherence to its second definition. Thus in order to display the meaning of an ambiguous word, such as weight, to a listener, the speaker must give context and background information. An example of a more common ambiguous word is “rose” -- which can mean either a type flower, or the physical act of rising (in the past tense). A general word is one that applies to numerous other words. One may think the
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The negation test is the first one: “that is not weight”. When inserting “weight” into the test, more information is needed to understand the meaning. What isn’t weight? The number on the scale when I step onto it, or the amount of work I have due that’s causing me a lot of stress? Since my hypothesis of “weight” is that it is ambiguous, the negation test is successful; I need more context to understand the word’s meaning. As for “ball”, to say “that is not a ball” is much clearer -- it means that the object handed to me isn’t a round or roundish body of
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