Ambiguity, also called amphibology, is the duplication of meanings in the same sentence.
Due to the fact that they bring together more than one possible interpretation, ambiguities can generate a misunderstanding in the discourse, which is why they should be avoided in formal discourses. Thus, when they arise carelessly, ambiguities are considered language vices.
Example: Finally, she took her son to his room.
It's not clear whose room it is: the son's or your own?
However, this is a resource widely used in poetic texts, as it offers greater expressiveness to the text. Furthermore, it is also used in advertising texts to ensure humor. In this case, when its use is intentional, the ambiguity is considered a figure of speech.
Example: I love my neighbor, but the dog doesn't stop barking.
There is irony in this prayer. That's because it's not clear if I like my neighbor that much (even though his dog is always barking) or if I don't like him (so much that I call him a dog because he's bothered by his noise).
Lexical and structural ambiguity
When ambiguity results from the meanings of words, it is lexical. Example: It was near the bank. (square bank or an institution?)
In turn, when ambiguity results from the position of words in the sentence, it is structural. Example: Demanded her husband's money. (Is it her husband's money or was it just with him?)
Examples
See below for examples of ambiguous phrases and the various situations in which they can occur:
Use of possessive pronouns
1) Maria's teacher finished the class making notes in his notebook.
(Were the notes made in Maria's notebook or in the teacher's notebook?)
Now see:
Maria's teacher finished the class making notes in her notebook.
or
Maria's teacher ended the class making notes in his own notebook.
2) Did Maria make that dinner at her house?
(If the dinner was made at the home of the person we spoke to, the construction is correct.)
Now see:
Did Maria make that dinner at her house? or Did Maria make that dinner at her own house?
Placement of Words
1) The happy children ran to the pool.
(Are the kids happy or are they happy to be able to go to the pool? If you are happy, the construction is correct.)
Now see:
Happy, the children ran to the pool.
2) The grumpy attendant folded the shirts.
(Is the attendant grumpy or is she grumpy? If it is bad-tempered, the construction is correct).
Now see:
Grumpy, the attendant folded the shirts.
Use of Nominal Forms
1) I helped the exhausted colleague at the end of the day.
(Who was exhausted? Me or my colleague?)
Now see:
Exhausted, I helped my colleague at the end of the day.
or
I helped a colleague, who was exhausted, at the end of the day.
2) The kitchen assistant helped the renowned cook preparing the dish presentation.
(Did the helper prepare the dish presentation herself or did she help the cook with its presentation?)
Now see:
The kitchen assistant helped the renowned cook with the presentation of the dish.
or
Preparing the presentation of the dish, the kitchen assistant helped the renowned cook.
Use of Relative Pronoun and Integral Conjunction
1) I spoke to the boss who had dizziness.
(Who was dizzy, me or my boss?)
Now see:
With dizziness, I spoke to the boss.
2) We are talking about a dish from that new restaurant, which I want you to try.
(What would you like me to try, the dish or the new restaurant?)
Now see:
We're talking about a dish from that new restaurant. I insist that you experience the place.
read Language vices and Figures of Language.
Ambiguity in advertising
A text can intend to transmit more than one message, either through written language or through images.
In the case of advertising, this is done on purpose. As an example, we can cite advertising regarding a cookie ad:
"Fill your son with biscuits."
Note that the purpose of the message is to encourage the consumption of cookies and not to encourage parents to hit their children. This is because the term biscuit is ambiguous, as it can mean a type of biscuit or a slap.
Read too Ad Characteristics.
Ambiguity and polysemy
Remember that ambiguity differs from polysemy. THE polysemy it is related to the various meanings that the same word can have.
Examples: paw (animal or animal's foot), arm (body part, chair arm).
Exercise
(UNICAMP-SP)
DANGER
Tree threatens to fall in Jardim Independência square
An imminent danger threatens the safety of the residents of Rua Tonon Martins, in Jardim Independência. A tree, about 35 meters high, located in Praça Conselheiro da Luz, threatens to fall at any moment.
She was struck, at the end of November last year, by lightning and, since that day, she has rotted and died, the tree, of large size, is of the Cambuí type and is very close to the public lighting network and the residences.
“The danger is the children who play in the place”, says Sérgio Marcatti, president of the neighborhood association.
(Juliana Vieira, Jornal Integração, 16 to 31 August 1996).
a) What did the president of the association intend to say?
That the dead tree threatened the safety of children playing in its vicinity.
b) What do you literally say?
It states that "the danger is children", whereas I should say that the tree is a danger to children.