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I was not going to reply, but I shall.<br>
<br>
He: My wife bought this jumper here last week. Now she wants another
just like it."<br>
Salewoman: Yes, sir. What bust?<br>
He: Oh, nothing, she tore it on a nail<br>
<br>
Punch 1933<br>
<br>
What percentage of words are ambiguous? Shall we say 100%. <br>
<br>
Words do not have meanings, meanings have words - Firth<br>
<br>
Everything is played out in context, we understand through Grice's
cooperative principle? We can deliberately cause misunderstanding
for jokes, poetry etc. Everyword in the joke has some degree of
ambiguity.<br>
<br>
Geoffrey<br>
<br>
Le 26/01/2012 05:06, Linda Bawcom a écrit :
<blockquote
cite="mid:1327550804.48365.YahooMailRC@web81605.mail.mud.yahoo.com"
type="cite">
<style type="text/css"><!-- DIV {margin:0px;} --></style>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:
12pt;">
<div><font face="Tahoma" size="2"><b><span style="font-weight:
bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [Corpora-List] Ambiguous
words in English and their frequency<br>
</font></div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:
12pt;">
<div style="font-family: times new roman,new york,times,serif;
font-size: 12pt;">
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size: 12pt;">
<div>Dear Karen,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>(I had to send this to the corpora list because I get
bounced mail for you). </div>
<div> </div>
<div>I would like to help but am unsure what you mean by
an ambiguous word. I can understand that a particular
word in a sentence might be ambiguous. For example,
"Mary's a funny person" could mean that she is comical
or that she is strange. However, words are used in some
kind of context. Therefore, in the example, 'funny' is
only ambiguous if I have insufficient context to help me
decide the particular use of that polysemous word. In
short, I believe we do not think of words themselves as
being ambiguous. What may be ambiguous (e.g. in need of
clarification) is the way a word/phrase is used in a
particular context or context of situation. Perhaps
you can offer a few examples. Apart from that, I can
only offer the following from my small data base where
ambiguity is discussed:</div>
<div> </div>
<div>
<table style="width: 617pt; border-collapse: collapse;"
width="822" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<colgroup> <col style="width: 297pt;" width="396"> <col
style="width: 123pt;" width="164"> <col
style="width: 101pt;" width="135"> <col
style="width: 59pt;" width="78"> <col
style="width: 37pt;" width="49"> </colgroup><tbody>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; width: 297pt;
height: 12.75pt;" height="17" width="396"><font
size="2">Aspects of English (2nd)</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; width: 123pt;"
class="xl65" width="164"><font size="2">202,205,262,264,270
etc.</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; width: 101pt;"
width="135"><font size="2">Bolinger,D.</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; width: 59pt;"
class="xl65" width="78"><font size="2">Harcourt</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; width: 37pt;"
width="49" align="right"><font size="2">1975</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Discourse Structure
&Anaphora</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">3,48,50-4,56-7,60,108,123,128,131</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Fox,
Barbara A.</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Computational
Analysis of English</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">21,26,27,39,43,51, etc.</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Garside,R.Leech.G.Sampson,
G..</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">Longman</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Corpora in Applied
Ling.</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">44-5,145,149</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hunston,
Susan</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">2002</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><br>
</td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><br>
</td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><br>
</td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><br>
</td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantics (2nd
edition)</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">31,38,42-3,48-50,86,105-8etc</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Palmer,
F.R.</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1981</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Corpus,
Concordance,Col</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">104-05</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Sinclair,
John</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">OUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1991</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Relational Models of
the Lexicon</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">114,117,227</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Walton
Evens, M. (ed)</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1988</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">84</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl66"><font
size="2">7-Sep</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Text and Corpus
Analysis</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">188-9</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Stubbs,
Michael</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">Blackwell</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1996</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">139.141</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">145</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">5-6,86,92-4,143,149,157</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">4-6,69,112,157,212-13</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">11</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">212</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Relational Models of
the Lexicon</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">291-92,316,319,33,328-29</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Walton
Evens, M. (ed)</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1988</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><br>
</td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">9-12,38,131-152,215</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">131-36</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">150-52</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.75pt;" height="17">
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent; height: 12.75pt;"
height="17"><font size="2">Semantic
Interpretation and the Resolution of Ambiguity</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">134-36</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;"><font size="2">Hirst,Graeme</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" class="xl65"><font
size="2">CUP</font></td>
<td style="border: medium none rgb(240, 240, 240);
background-color: transparent;" align="right"><font
size="2">1987</font></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Kindest regards,</div>
<div>Linda Bawcom</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Kindest regards,</div>
<div>Linda Bawcom<br>
</div>
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size: 12pt;"><br>
<div style="font-family: verdana,helvetica,sans-serif;
font-size: 12pt;"><font face="Tahoma" size="2">
<hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">From:</span></b>
"FORT, Karen" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:Karen.FORT@inist.fr"><Karen.FORT@inist.fr></a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> <a
class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:corpora@uib.no">"corpora@uib.no"</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:corpora@uib.no"><corpora@uib.no></a><br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b>
Wed, January 25, 2012 1:33:02 PM<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b>
[Corpora-List] Ambiguous words in English and their
frequency<br>
</font><br>
Hi all,<br>
<br>
I need to find this information (the proportion of
ambiguous words in English and their frequency).<br>
For example, we know that in French 8% of the words
represent 30% of the ambiguity.<br>
Of course, it's very rough, but it's only to have a
rough idea.<br>
<br>
Can somebody help me with this (of course, I searched
for a ref but could not find anything precise)?<br>
<br>
Thank you in advance,<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
<br>
Karën FORT<br>
Ingénieure/Engineer et/and doctorante/PhD student<br>
INIST-CNRS / LIPN<br>
2, allée de Brabois<br>
54500 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy<br>
France<br>
Bureau/Office: H112<br>
+33 (0)3 83 50 46 36<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://www-lipn.univ-paris13.fr/%7Efort/">http://www-lipn.univ-paris13.fr/~fort/</a><br>
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