Lexical and Structural Ambiguity Examples

Lexical and Structural Ambiguity Examples Language is the most important thing in our life. People communicate with others by using language. Without language we cannot communicate with other people properly. Even deaf or dump people can communicate with others by using their special language or sign language. People talk, share their thought, feeling and emotion through language either spoken or written. In the world, there are many different languages in different countries. It is possible that there are many languages used in one country. Although have so many different languages, people use it for one reason, that is to communicate. They communicate with each other either spoken or written through sentences. Sometimes people do not get what we said to them. It is not because they do not hear it or something. However, occasionally we say a sentence which has more than one meaning. As a result, the listeners will have some different interpretations and this will make confusion for the listener. In this case, this misunderstanding is called an ambiguity. We can find ambiguous sentences everywhere, not only when people say something to us or spoken but we can also find it in written forms, like in the book, newspaper, magazine, and so on. This ambiguity can happen if there are more than one meaning which can be interpreted by the people who read or listen to the ambiguous sentences or phrases. There are three kinds of ambiguity according to Ullmann (as cited in Tambunan 202, 204); phonetic, grammatical or structural, and lexical ambiguity. Phonetic ambiguity appears in spoken only, e.g. when we say near, not all people will catch near as the meaning of close by or next to. Nevertheless, some people can misunderstand what they hear. They can possibly hear near as an ear or a near as well. Meanwhile, in his book, Pateda () said Grammatical or structural ambiguity appears because of the resemblance of phrase. Each word which forms a phrase actually should be clear, but the combination can be interpreted more than one meaning. For example in the sentence I met a number of old friends and acquaintances. The word old (past or someone who has been already old, in this case about age matter) in this sentence can be connected with friends (people who you know well but not in family members) and acquaintances which means people that you have met but do not know well. In that sentenc e, where is meant by the past, is it friends or acquaintances? In lexical ambiguity it has been explained that each word can contain more than one meaning. A word can lead to something different according to the usage. As the writer mentioned above, apparently ambiguous sentences or phrases can be shown in the written forms. Based on this research, the writer chooses the source of data from a newspaper, especially in the titles of each section which most likely contains ambiguous meaning. Because nowadays we find so many newspaper which contains ambiguous meaning in it, either in the content or the title. This is happening because in this modern era, language is changed. Trask (92) said that language has changed, and many of the old words have disappeared and been replaced by the new words. Other words have survived, but have changed either their forms or their meanings so much that we can barely recognize them. In this research the writer chooses a local Indonesian newspaper, that is Suara Merdeka. It is the largest Indonesian daily newspaper in Central Java, Indonesia which is made in Semarang, Central Java. There are some sections that are offered by this news, such as headline, business, advertisement, your letters, entertainment, and so on. In this paper, the writer will conduct a research in the news title of each section. Since the data is taken from newspaper, the writer will take some titles which most likely has ambiguous meaning in both lexically and structurally. FIELD OF THE STUDY This research is in the field of Linguistics. SCOPE OF THE STUDY In this paper the writer focuses on lexical and structural ambiguity in the title news of each section in Suara Merdeka newspaper. The data of this research are taken from all titles in each section of the newspaper which has ambiguous meaning. PROBLEM FORMULATION The research question can be formulated as follows: Which words, sentences or phrases are possibly ambiguous? What parts of speech are lexically ambiguous? Which type of ambiguity is the most dominant? OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The objectives of this paper are to answer the problem of this research which is mentioned above. They are: To find out words, sentence or phrases are possibly ambiguous. To analyze the part of speech of words that can be lexically ambiguous. To determine the most dominant type of ambiguity. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The result of this study provides the readers to improve their ability in understanding the ambiguous sentence, phrase, or word in written language. This research will contribute as the reference for the study of semantics and syntax in teaching and learning activity. Moreover for the people who are interested in lexical and structural ambiguity for their research. DEFINITION OF TERMS Ambiguity Ambiguity appears when something has more than one possible meaning and may therefore cause confusion (Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary 43). Lexical Ambiguity According to Grenat and Taher in Al satil journal (10), lexical ambiguity refers to the type of ambiguity those results from the occurrence of homonyms. Structural Ambiguity A sentence is called structurally ambiguous if there is more than one complete structural description that may be assigned to it (Tesar, par. 1). LITERARY VIEW Semantic Theories As a branch of linguistics, semantics is defined as the study of the meaning. Yule (100) says that Semantics deals with the conventional meaning conveyed by the use of words, phrases and sentences of a language. In semantics it can be seen what is meant by meaning, the kinds of meaning, anything which is connected by meaning, the components of meaning, whether meaning is changed or not, why meaning can be changed, either each word has only one meaning or more, how we comprehend the meaning of a word or sentence easily, everything can be traced through semantics (Pateda 2). Meaning There are two ways in investigating meaning of words in a sentence; conceptual and associative meaning. Conceptual meaning is the basic components of meaning carry on literal use of words. For example, the word needle has the meaning of sharp, thin, an instrument for sewing. Associative meaning is like the connotation of words. For example, the word needle has the meaning of pain, illness, drug, thread, or knitting. In this association meaning, it is possible that each person may have different interpretations (Yule 100). An idea has to be sent clearly and meaningfully, so it will not cause misunderstanding in communication. Ambiguity can cause wrong perception in peoples mind when evaluating something (Suryaslavia 7). Ambiguity According to Clare (par 4), something is called ambiguous when it can be understood in two or more possible senses or ways. A word or sentence is ambiguous when it has more than one sense. A sentence is ambiguous if it has two (or more) paraphrases which are not themselves paraphrases of each other. For example, We saw her duck is a paraphrase of We saw her lower her head and of We saw the duck belonging to her. In this case, we consider that We saw her duck is ambiguous (Hurford and Heasley 121). Ambiguity can arise in a sentence for a number of reasons; through the ascription of multiple meanings to single words, through the assignment of different syntactic structures to a sentence, or through the use of certain expression that may have semantic scope (Cann 8). Lexical Ambiguity Lexical ambiguity according to Hurford and Heasley (128) is any ambiguity resulting from the ambiguity of a word. For example in the sentence The captain corrected the list is lexically ambiguous. The word list has two possible meanings, either record (short pieces of information, such as peoples name) or lean (in a ship). Lexical ambiguity can be created from because of polysemy and homophony (OGrady 270). Polysemy Polysemy occurs where a word has two or more related meanings. Example: Bright : shining, intelligent To glare : to shine intensely, to stare angrily A deposit : minerals in the earth, money in the bank Homophony Homophony exists where a single form has two or more entirely distinct meanings. For example, the word bat has the meaning either a flying mouse-like nocturnal mammal or a piece of equipment used in cricket or baseball. In this case, it is assumed that there are two or more separate words with the same pronunciation rather than a single word with different meanings. Structural Ambiguity Structural ambiguity appears because of the resemblance of phrase. Each word which forms a phrase actually should be clear, but the combination can be interpreted more than one meaning. For example in the sentence I met a number of old friends and acquaintances. The word old (past or someone who has been already old, in this case about age matter) in this sentence can be connected with friends (people who you know well but not in family members) and acquaintances which means people that you have met but do not know well. In that sentence, where is meant by the past, is it friends or acquaintances? Structural ambiguity happens if there is a sentence which is ambiguous because its words relate each other in different ways, even though none words are ambiguous (Hufford 129 130). Language of Newspapers In his book, The Language of Newspaper; Socio Historical Perspective, Conboy (1) says that the language of newspapers has always encapsulated what would they sell to the readers and how the information which they share could best be packaged and presented to achieve the commercial end at a certain time. The market-driven rationalization of the language of the new mass newspapers affected the grammar of the reduced sentences which were increasingly identifiable as journalistic. The twentieth-century newspapers language was shaped by a wave of technologies competing with the newspaper as the prime provider of topical information about the world. In newspapers today, we are witnessing the latest linguistic accommodation to changing social and commercial pressures. Newspapers have always striven to provide an elaborated form of conversation with their audiences, to be something more than a dry account of the events of the day (Conboy 2). Previous Study In Faculty of Letters, Unika Soegijapranata there have been thre theses discussing about Ambiguity. Marsha Marieanne (2011), The Analysis of Ambiguity in Printed Consumer Goods Indonesian Advertisements investigates the classification of the ambiguous taglines in printed Indonesian consumer goods advertisements. Doncy Suryaslavia (2005), Lexical and Structural Ambiguity on Television Advertisements focuses on a classification of Indonesian television advertisements which contain lexical or structural ambiguity. Arkhid Awful (2005), Peoples Interpretstion of the Advertisement Containing Ambiguous Sentences or Phrases talks about interpretation of people concerning the ambiguous sentences or phrases in the advertisement. The difference between those three theses from the writes study is that the writer focuses on the lexical and structural ambiguity found in news titles. The writer will conduct a research on each section of the newspaper and find any titles which most likely have ambiguous meaning. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Method of Data Collection The aim of this study is to analyze the lexical and structural ambiguity in the newpaper titles. The writer conducts a reasearch from Indonesian local newspaper, that is Suara Merdeka. She takes the data from each section of the newspaper which most likely contains ambiguous meaning and she will analyze it based on the lexical and structural ambiguity. Instrument 1.2 Procedure Method of Data Analysis Reading the selected data Identifying the words, phrases, and sentences which are possibly ambiguous. Classifying them into the types of ambiguity whether lexical or structural ambiguity.

Models and Theories Essay

New technological advances have changed the way organizations are preparing for the future. Management must focus on the human implications resulting from the implementation of new technology and be prepared for resistance and human implications resulting from technological changes. The way management prepares for the change can create a smooth transition or failure. Many theories and models for change have been created to help this transition. Choosing the right model or theory for your work place depends on the type of organization. Although you do not know how the workforce will react to the change, it is important to implement a strategy that will help foster the change. Many factors needed to be weighed to implement a successful change strategy. Management needs to look at the organizational culture, the challenges of implementing the change and the tactics they will use to overcome resistance of the change. There are many different models and theories involving change management. The first model is appreciative inquiry. â€Å"Appreciative inquiry is a form of action research that attempts to create new theories, ideas and images that aid in the developmental change of a system (Bushe, Gervase, 2001). † Appreciative inquiry is a collection of people’s positive experiences and tries to find ways to emulate them. A disadvantage to appreciative inquiry is that there is no set way of collecting data. â€Å". The basic process of appreciative inquiry is to begin with a grounded observation of the â€Å"best of what is†, then through vision and logic collaboratively articulate â€Å"what might be†, ensuring the consent of those in the system to â€Å"what should be† and collectively experimenting with â€Å"what can be (Cooperrider & Srivastya, 1990)†. An advantage to appreciative inquiry is that organizations can build from previous positive experiences. This method also promotes group cohesiveness and bonding over shared experiences. The open-systems theory is a model that seeks to omprehend the interdependencies between the organization and its environment. â€Å"To conceptualize an organization as an open system is to emphasize the importance of its environment, upon which the maintenance, survival, and growth of an open system depend. A systems approach to organizations begins with the postulate that they are open systems which, of necessity, engage in various modes of exchange with their environment (Katz and Kahn, 1966)†. The open-systems method developed by Bertalanffy in 1956, uses action plans and problem solving techniques. Considering the task elements involved for groups, collective efficiency perceptions of groups may influence their effectiveness (Gibson, 1999). Leaders in an organizational change will face many different kinds of resistance. These changes arise from perceived threats and changing of their normal work routine. According to Lewins force field analysis, â€Å" an issue is held in balance by the interaction of two opposing sets of forces, those seeking the change and those attempting to maintain the status quo; the resisting forces† (Lewin, Kurt). The change model by Beckhard, states, â€Å"employee involvement is essential in understanding the connection between employee empowerment and organizational success†. The three components of overcoming resistance in this method are dissatisfaction with the current situation, vision of the future, and achievable steps to reaching this vision. The catastrophe theory looks at change in a mathematical formula. The catastrophe theory states that once an organization is out of its stable or preferred state there is no continuous way back.

Organizational Competitive Strategies-Porter’s Five Forces Model (AIR ASIA) Essay

The Porter’s five forces model, in this assignment, can be used to access the competitiveness of the airlines industry. It can review the competition within the industry plus checks for threat from outside. Bargaining power of supplier-High- In every industry, there has to be someone to play the role of a supplier. It is important to know the power of the supplier as it will affect the industry. There are only two main suppliers in the airline industry, Airbus and Boeing, thus there isn’t much of an open option. Not forgetting the global economic catastrophe which has limited the new entry of competitor plus reducing the necessity of upgrading of planes in near future. However, both suppliers grant almost similar standard aircrafts; hence the switch to AirAsia is low. Furthermore, AirAsia places a bulky amount of order from Airbus in order to expand its routes internationally. Therefore, the authority of suppliers may weaken as Airbus’s profit may be influenced by Air Asia. Bargaining power of customer-High- Customers are the main factor which influences the industry to either make a loss or profit. Nowadays, customers are much more knowledgeable and comparative compared to previous. Thus, they are very sensitive to the hike and drop of prices, regardless the product or service. In this assignment, AirAsia always provides the lowest price to customers, but the act of comparing between airlines still exist. AirAsia is not the only one providing an airline service thus, for a customer to switch between airline services is simple. For example, customer may still choose MAS, Tiger Airway or even Firefly. Internal rivalry within the industry-High- In every business sector, there exist either a positive or negative tendency towards an industries rate of development. Result of a positive trend would be in companies not stealing the share market among them. Nonetheless in an airline industry, the rate of development is low by reason of the inadequate amount of consumers. Hence, AirAsia has to steal the market share from its contenders to develop and succeed further. The main key advantage is its low operating overhead, this factor enables it to be the prime in the main field in price. Nonetheless, there are many other upcoming competitors or rivals immerging into the airline industry, who have key carriers as their backbone, which may direct to an ugly price clash in the coming years. There are few other minimal cost airline services such as Firefly, Tiger Airways and etc, making them possible competitors of AirAsia. Barriers to Entry/Potential entrants-Low- there is a high barrier to emerge in the airline industry since the capital required is very high, such as the need to purchase airplanes, office buildings and hiring staffs. Hence this reduced the threat for AirAsia. Plus brand awareness is also a main leading factor. A new line of aircraft can’t make a mark so fast in the industry and it requires a lot of capital and time to build its name. Consumers always prefer a brand that has been there for an adequate amount of time, a brand that they can trust. This also reduces the threat. Not forgetting the governmental legislation also is a barrier by itself. For example, MAS has got the backing and protection by the Malaysian government on the route to Sydney and Seoul, so AirAsia finds it tough in getting a new route from the government. This reduces the profit margin able to be made by AirAsia, but also has reduced emergence of new entries. Power of Substitutes-Medium- Substitute are products or services which can replace the originals, and still able to provide almost the equivalent fulfillment to clients. In the airline industry basically, two types of substitutes are present, indirect and direct. Indirect substitute are ferry, bus and further forms of transportation except from airline, while direct substitute are the other rival airlines. Consumers usually go for those that cost less. If the trip covers a short distance and mainly connected to the peninsula then forms of transport will include train, bus or air travel. However if the trip is budgeted the preferable choice would be by bus. Moreover the development in technology has highly contributed in this matter by making ticketing and pricing of air tickets available to travelers on the internet and also allowing them to compare the rates. Even if the travelers may prefer to take a bus or train to their preferred location such as travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok, it is still an undeniable fact that air travel is much more convenient and consumes less time.

A Psychological Perspective of The Turn of the Screw Essay

A Psychological Perspective of The Turn of the Screw Henry James was one of the famous writers during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. He was known as an innovative and independent novelist. One of James novels, The Turn of the Screw (1898), has caused a lot of controversy among many critics, and each of them has had a particular interpretation. James creative writing built a close connection between his novel and his readers. The reactions of the readers toward The Turn of the Screw can be researched psychologically by analyzing how James developed his story using questionable incidents, an unreliable narrator, unexpected changes, an interesting prologue, and effective images and words. The influences of†¦show more content†¦Readers might wonder with whom she was in love. Then the Master told the Governess about the previous governess and her death (James 296). The readers probably want to know the reason of the previous governess death. When the Master talked about the duties of the Governess, he required her not to contact him in any way (James 297). We do not know why he made that requirement. As the story continues, the readers have many more unsolved questions such as why Miles was dismissed from school, why the Governess could describe Peter Quint exactly though she never meet him, and why the Governess thought that ghosts wanted to catch the two children. Ned Lukacher thinks that [the way James] has said something also becomes a way of not having said something else (132). For instance, James revealed some hints regarding the reason Miles was dismissed. We know that [Miles]s an injury to the others (304) and Mrs. Grose thought Miles was no boy for [h er] (305). However, these hints do not help the readers to completely understand why Miles was sent away from his school. 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