31.2683, Calls: Discourse Analysis, Pragmatics/Switzerland

Fri Aug 28 19:04:32 UTC 2020

LINGUIST List: Vol-31-2683. Fri Aug 28 2020. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 31.2683, Calls: Discourse Analysis, Pragmatics/Switzerland

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Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2020 15:04:00
From: Ilaria Fiorentini [ilaria.fiorentini at unipv.it]
Subject: How vague and ambiguous are vagueness and ambiguity?

Full Title: How vague and ambiguous are vagueness and ambiguity? 

Date: 27-Jun-2021 - 02-Jul-2021
Location: Winterthur, Switzerland 
Contact Person: Ilaria Fiorentini
Meeting Email: ilaria.fiorentini at unipv.it

Linguistic Field(s): Discourse Analysis; Pragmatics 

Call Deadline: 15-Oct-2020 

Meeting Description:

Panel organizers:
Ilaria Fiorentini
Chiara Zanchi

Description:
This panel aims to explore the relationship between ambiguity and vagueness.
Along with fuzziness/indeterminacy and generality (Zhang 1998), both concepts
convey incomplete knowledge (Denison 2017: 293) and have been distinguished as
follows: Ambiguous expressions carve up multiple discrete regions in the
conceptual space, whereas vague ones select a single region with blended
boundaries (Wasow 2015: 32). Furthermore, ambiguity is understood to pertain
to different linguistic levels, while vagueness only affects the lexicon.
Finally, vagueness purportedly correlates with inherent indeterminacy that can
be mitigated or intensified, whereas ambiguity has been considered responsible
for misunderstandings that need to be resolved (Piantadosi et al. 2011 propose
an opposite view; for a discussion, see Magni 2016).

Nonetheless, the relationship between ambiguity and vagueness is more complex
than it initially appears. First, there is little terminological consensus on
imprecise/unspecified language. Second, although ambiguity is usually regarded
as a trigger of language change, it can also be considered a result of change,
whereas vagueness enables unconscious language change (Denison 2017). Third,
polysemy has been variably described as a case of ambiguity, of vagueness, and
as the place where the two concepts are mostly confused (Tuggy 1993). Fourth,
both ambiguity and vagueness can occur accidentally or intentionally, and may
be exploited or avoided through purposeful communicative choices. Finally,
when deliberately chosen, ambiguous and vague expressions are productive in
specific textual genres (Cutting 2007).

This panel aims to discuss the relationship between ambiguity and vagueness
(i) as a terminological/theoretical issue, (ii) in diachrony, and (iii) in
relation to language use and users:
 - Can we differentiate between ambiguity and vagueness, and if so, how? Is
their distinction merely terminological?
 - On which linguistic levels do ambiguity and vagueness operate?
 - What role does ambiguity and vagueness play in language change?
 - Does context play any role in distinguishing ambiguity from vagueness?
 - Does ambiguity have more negative effects than vagueness on communication
outcomes? When are ambiguity and vagueness efficient and/or tolerable?
 - When ambiguity and vagueness are accidental, what communicative strategies
do speakers use to avoid them? Do sometimes speakers deliberately permit them?
Overall, what is the addressee’s role in interpreting ambiguous/vague message?
 - When ambiguity and vagueness are intentional, how are they used in
manipulative discourses? Are they particularly exploited in specific textual
genres?

Call for Papers: 

If you are interested in participating in this panel, please send an abstract
(min. 250 – max. 500 words including references) by 15 October 2020 to: 
ilaria.fiorentini at unipv.it
chiara.zanchi01 at unipv.it

All abstracts will also have to be submitted individually through the IPrA
website (https://ipra2021.exordo.com/) by 25 October 2020. When submitting
your abstract to the conference website, make sure to select “How vague and
ambiguous are vagueness and ambiguity?” as the panel for your submission.

Please note that IPrA membership is required to submit an abstract through the
IPrA website. Information on membership categories and fees can be found at
the following web site: https://pragmatics.international/page/CategoriesFees.
For further information, please refer to the IPrA Call for papers & Submission
guidelines (https://pragmatics.international/general/custom.asp?page=CfP).

References: 
Cutting J. 2007. Vague language explored. Palgrave/Macmillan.
Denison D. 2017. Ambiguity and vagueness in historical change. In The Changing
English Language, M. Hundt et al. (eds), 292-318. CUP.
Magni E. 2016. Sette tipi di ambiguità nel mutamento linguistico. In Problemi
e prospettive della linguistica storica, P. Cordin & A. Parenti (eds), 13-34.
Il Calamo.
Piantadosi S. T. et al. 2011. The communicative function of ambiguity in
language. Cognition 122/3, 280-291.
Tuggy D. 1993. Ambiguity, polysemy and vagueness. Cognitive Linguistics 4:
273–290.
Wasow T. 2015. Ambiguity avoidance is overrated. In Ambiguity: Language and
Communication, S. Winkler (ed), 29-47. De Gruyter.
Zhang Q. 1998. Fuzziness – vagueness – generality – ambiguity. Journal of
Pragmatics 29: 13-31.

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