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Are vagueness and ambiguity shortcomings of language that should be avoided in the interest of knowledge, or can they be also viewed as positive aspects of language?
Member rating: No Rating | Words: | Submitted: Mon Jan 16 2006
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2. Are vagueness and ambiguity shortcomings of language that should be avoided in the interest of knowledge, or can they be also viewed as positive aspects of language? "How much is too much?" asked the waitress as she began to pour cream into my coffee. "This much" I said while using my fingers to explain the amount. "This much?" she said as she began to stop pouring. I shrugged with content, "More or less." No official amount was ever defined in language, yet somehow it was generally understood. Vagueness is unavoidable in every conversation and in all tongues. However, through other forms of language we can usually discover the point trying to be made. Besides the confusion, ambiguity and vagueness do not always have a detrimental affect on language. Vagueness and ambiguity are defined by being indefinable; nothing is definitely for certain and there is neither a designated beginning nor end. People...
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