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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper discusses ambiguity in language, particularly with regard to phrases dealing with time ("as soon as possible" for instance), and how we can reduce ambiguity when we use them. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Page Count:
3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_HVTimTrm.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
one person means when he says "right away," may be quite different from another persons meaning; that is, the first person may mean "Im doing it right now" while the
second might mean, "Ill do it as soon as I get finished with the task Im working on." In short, problems arise because people give different meanings to the same
terms. This paper considers what we might do to reduce or eliminate ambiguity when using these terms. Discussion The quick answer would be not to use them at all. However,
one source suggests that it is impossible to avoid ambiguous terms; they are virtually built into language because of its complexity (Cohen). There is also a huge difference between terms
that are vague and terms that are ambiguous, and Cohen argues that vagueness in speech is necessary: "When we are told that the theater is far from here, we may
be unsure as to the precise distance; but we know what the speaker intends, and we can draw inferences based on this; e.g., that we should take a cab..." (Cohen).
The speaker thus is vague about the exact distance, but clear in his meaning that its too far to walk. Because language can convey exact meaning through the use
of vague terms, they clearly have a place in it. But what about terms that are ambiguous? As noted, the complexity of language suggests that some ambiguity is necessary.
Formal languages that are artificially derived so they are not ambiguous are lower in complexity than natural languages "by orders of magnitude; and even with these relatively simple languages, lack
of ambiguity is accomplished by cumbersome and somewhat unnatural methods (e.g. brackets in mathematics and logic" (Cohen). Inventing a language that is completely unambiguous is extremely difficult, and would probably
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