Ambiguity: Language and Communication

Published by De Gruyter 2015

Ambiguity

Language and Communication

Edited by: Susanne Winkler

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110403589

Overview
Contents

About this book

This edited volume investigates the concept of ambiguity and how it manifests itself in language and communication from a new perspective. The main goal is to uncover a great mystery: why can we communicate effectively despite the fact that ambiguity is pervasive in the language that we use? And conversely, how do speakers and hearers use ambiguity and vagueness to achieve a specific goal? Comprehensive answers to these questions are provided from different fields which focus on the study of language, in particular, linguistics, literary criticism, rhetoric, psycholinguistics, theology, media studies and law. By bringing together these different disciplines, the book documents a radical change in the research on ambiguity. The innovation is brought about by the transdisciplinary perspective of the individual and co-authored papers that bridge the gaps between disciplines.
The research program that underlies this volume establishes theoretical connections between the areas of (psycho)linguistics that concentrate on the question of how the system of language works with the areas of rhetoric, literary studies, theology and law that focus on the question of how communication works in discourse and text from the perspective of both production and perception. A three-dimensional Ambiguity Model is presented that serves as a theoretical anchor point for the analyses of the different types of ambiguities by the contributors of this volume. The Ambiguity Model is a hybrid model which brings together the different perspectives on how language and the language system work with respect to ambiguity as well as the question of how ambiguity is employed in communication and in different communicational settings. A set of specific features that are relevant for the description of ambiguity, such as whether the ambiguity arises in the production or perception process, and whether it occurs in strategic or nonstrategic communication, are defined. The research program rests on the assumption that both the production and the perception of ambiguity, as well as its strategic and nonstrategic occurrence, can only be understood by exploring how these factors interact with each other and a reference system when ambiguity is generated and resolved.
The collection Ambiguity: Language and Communication constitutes a superb introduction to the workings of ambiguity in language and communication along with extensive analyses of many different examples from different fields. As such it is relevant for students of linguistics, literary studies, rhetoric, law and theology and at the same time there is sufficient quality analysis and new research questions to benefit advanced readers who are interested in ambiguity.

Author / Editor information

Susanne Winkler, University of Tübingen, Germany.

Supplementary Materials

Contents

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Vorwort Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	VII
Table of Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	IX
Exploring Ambiguity and the Ambiguity Model from a Transdisciplinary Perspective Susanne Winkler Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Part I: Theoretical Foundations of Ambiguity in Language and Communication
Ambiguity Avoidance is Overrated Thomas Wasow Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	29
Part II: (Strategic) Ambiguity in the Production Process
Strategisches Ambiguieren, Verstehenswechsel und rhetorische Textleistung . Am Beispiel von Shakespeares Antony-Rede Joachim Knape and Susanne Winkler Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	51
Ambiguity in Shakespeare ’s Sonnet 138 Nadine Bade, Matthias Bauer, Sigrid Beck, Carmen Dörge and Angelika Zirker Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	89
Von der intendierten Ambiguität in die Aporie . Monologische und dialogische Erkenntniswege am Beispiel von Platons Hippias Minor Joachim Knape Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	111
Unbestimmtheit im Recht Monika Rathert Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	155
Part III: (Strategic) Ambiguity in the Perception Process
Ambiguity and Sentence Position: An Experimental Case Study on Manner Adverbs Britta Stolterfoht Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	171
The Influence of Prosody on Children’s Processing of Ambiguous Sentences Natalie Wiedmann and Susanne Winkler Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	185
Discourse Function Ambiguity of Fragments: A Linguistic Puzzle Katharina Schmeh, Peter W. Culicover, Jutta Hartmann and Susanne Winkler Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	199
Ambiguität und Schriftauslegung: Beobachtungen zu Augustins Schrift De utilitate credendi Peter Koch and Christof Landmesser Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	217
Part IV: (Strategic) Ambiguity in Communicative Interaction
Dimensions of Constitutive Ambiguity Frauke Berndt and Klaus Sachs-Hombach Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	271
Ambiguity in Speaker-Hearer-Interaction: A Parameter-Based Model of Analysis Esme Winter-Froemel and Angelika Zirker Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	283
Die Schuhe von van Gogh: Ambiguität vs. Unspezifität im Bild Thomas Susanka Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	341
Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	359

(Deutsch)

Languages: English, German
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: Scholars and Students of Linguistics, Literary Studies, Literary Criticism, Rhetoric, Theology, Media Studies, Law
Pages
- Front matter: 10
- Main content: 368
Keywords: Ambiguity; Interpersonal Communication; Language Perception

eBook

Published: March 30, 2015
ISBN: 9783110403589

Hardcover

Published: March 13, 2015
ISBN: 9783110403435