AMBIGUITY

AMBIGUITY

 What is Ambiguity?

       Ambiguity or fallacy of ambiguity is a word, phrase, or statement which contains more than one meaning. In this sense, ambiguity has been the source of much frustration, bemusement, and amusement for philosophers, lexicographers, linguists, cognitive scientists, literary theorists and critics, authors, poets, orators and just about everyone who considers the interpretation(s) of linguistic signs.
Ambiguous words or statements lead to vagueness and confusion, and shape the basis for instances of unintentional humor. For instance, it is ambiguous to say “I rode a black horse in red pajamas,” because it may lead us to think the horse was wearing red pajamas. The sentence becomes clear when it is restructured “Wearing red pajamas, I rode a black horse.”

Types of Ambiguity

• Lexical Ambiguity

         Lexical ambiguity is by far the more common. Everyday examples include nouns like 'chip', 'pen' and 'suit', verbs like 'call', 'draw' and 'run', and adjectives like 'deep', 'dry' and 'hard'

• Structural Ambiguity

         Structural ambiguity occurs when a phrase or sentence has more than one underlying structure, such as the phrases 'Tibetan history teacher', 'a student of high moral principles' and 'short men and women', and the sentences 'The girl hit the boy with a book' and 'Visiting relatives can be boring'

Here are a few things that have been helpful to avoid ambiguity :

• Never use a long word where a short one will do

• Present old information before new information.

• When possible, choose to write in the active voice, instead of the passive voice. Writing in the active voice makes sentences clearer because the reader can easily see who the doer of an action is. That's not to say that you shouldn't use the passive voice at all; it has its own uses (e.g. it can hide the performer of an action), but try to use it sparingly.

• Avoid nominalization (turning verbs into nouns). When possible, use words in their verb form, rather than their noun form.

References
http://literarydevices.net/ambiguity/
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/ambiguity/#WhatLingAmbiIsnt
https://www.quora.com/How-shall-I-avoid-writing-ambiguous-sentences-Is-there-any-way-to-fix-it
http://online.sfsu.edu/kbach/ambguity.html

Connotation,Denotation and Implication

CONNOTATION, DENOTATION and IMPLICATION

Connotation.
What is connotation?
Connotation is the emotional and imaginative association surrounding a word.
Refers to : the wide array of positive and negative associations that most words naturally carry with them
Can find : literature  work
Connotation divided into two :
Positive connotation : More polite
Negative Connotation :More rude

Denotation.
What is denotation?
Denotation is the strict dictionary meaning of a word
Refers to: The precise, literal definition of a word that might be found in a dictionary. 
Can find: scientific word

Example connotation and Denotation
                                          
1. home/house
Denotation : The words house and home in a dictionary, you would find that both words have  approximately the same meaning.
Connotation : Many people associate such things as comfort, love, security, or privacy with a home but do not necessarily make the same associations with a house.

2.  snake
Denotation : Snake in a dictionary, you will discover that one of its denotative meanings is "any of numerous scaly, legless, sometimes venomous reptiles having a long, tapering, cylindrical body and found in most tropical and temperate regions." 
Connotation : Snake in the grass," the biblical serpent, the danger of poisonous snakes, our own fear of snakes or a malevolent (evil, bad) person might be called "a real snake.

Implication
What is implication?
Implication is meaning which a speaker or writer intends but does not communicate directly. Where a listener is able to deduce or infer the intended meaning from what has been uttered, this is known as (conversational) implicature.
Can find : conversation
Example :
Utterance:“A bus!” → Implicature (implicit meaning):“We must run.”
Utterance : “A rain!” --> implicature (implicit meaning) : “We must take shelter.”

Euphemism

What is Euphemism?

         A Euphemism is a polite inoffensive expression words or phrases replaced for one considered offensive or hurtful that contrarily might be considered bitter, blunt or unpleasant to hear. In short, the term euphemism refers to courteous, unintended expressions which is the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression that replace words and phrases considered harsh and disrespectful or which suggest something unpleasant. When the aim is not to offend or hurt someone with honest intentions.
        Euphemism is the substitution of an inoffensive expression (such as "passed away") for one considered offensively explicit ("died"). Contrast with dysphemism. Adjective: euphemistic.
         In his Oxford Dictionary of Euphemisms (2007), R.W. Holder notes that in speech or writing "we use euphemism for dealing with taboo or sensitive subjects. It is therefore the language of evasion, hypocrisy, prudery, and deceit."
        According to Ruth Wajnryb, "Euphemisms have a short shelf life--once the stigma of the original catches up to them, the battery that runs the euphemistic device goes flat. The only way forward is to invent a new euphemism"(Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language, 2005)
         Possibly there is no other word in English for which there are more euphemisms than for the verb “to die.” When someone dies, we say he passed away, passed on or simply passed. Or he is in a better place now, gone on to his heavenly reward or as the doctor may have said just as the patient breathed his last breath. “She expired.”

Lets consider a few more, Examples:
*Collateral damage instead of accidental deaths
*Use the rest room instead of go to the bathroom
*Between jobs instead of unemployed
*Domestic engineer instead of maid

Types of Euphemisms

       To Soften an Expression - Some euphemisms are used to make a blunt or obnoxious truth seem less hard.
Examples:
*Passed away instead of died
*Differently-abled instead of handicapped or disabled
*Relocation center instead of prison camp
*Letting someone go instead of firing someone
*On the streets instead of homeless

      Euphemisms to be Polite - Some euphemisms are used to take the place of words or phrases one might not want to say in polite circle.
Examples:
*Adult beverages instead of beer or liquor
*Big-boned instead of heavy or overweight
*Vertically-challenged instead of short
*Economical with the truth instead of liar
*Between jobs instead of unemployed

Euphemisms to be Impolite - euphemisms are intentionally a callous or insensitive way of saying something.        These euphemisms are usually used when being sarcastic or trying to make light of a serious subject or make it seem less serious.
Example:
*Bit the dust instead of died
*Blow chunks instead of vomited
*Bit the farm instead of died

Examples of Euphemisms

Euphemism is frequently used in everyday life.
Let us look at some common euphemism, examples:

*Retarded - mentally challenged
*Blind - Visually challenged
*Crippled - Differently abled
*Bald - follicularly challenged

Euphemism in sentences:
*He is always tired and emotional (drunk). He is a special child (disabled or retarded).
*You are becoming a little thin on top (bald).
*Our teacher is in the family way (pregnant).
*We do not hire mentally challenged (stupid) people.

Reference

http://english.tutorvista.com/literary-response/euphemism.html
http://grammar.about.com/od/e/g/euphemismterm.html

Motivation of life

Oke lets see, when we talk about "what your motto/tagline in your life? " , ngg give me time to think...
Oke this years my tagline "Don't hear what others people say, but hear what God say to you.Don't ask to God why your life like meaningless,but ask to God,how to make your life full with meaning."

Why my motto this year like this? Because in 2015,many things happen to me. Last year,God teach me, to know more about "kehilangan".

In february, my uncle passed away, he is like father to me for 14 years. And then I lost my only one brother that I had. And that is make depression for awhile.

I and my brother already fight for 2 years to make he's heal from his ilness. When he passed away, I ask God why bad things always happen to me. I ask God, why he take away again the people who I loved so much. He already took away my parents,but now he took away,my only one sibling.

I think that time, my life just meaningless. After my parents passed away, my brother was my motivation for 14 years. And after he gone, I don't know what my purpose in life. Many people talk about me.

But in one time, I know, God have best plan to me. Now, I just believe God will give me happiness when I do what He say. I don't care what others people talk about me,because is just waste time. Now, I often ask God how to make my life useful for others people. Because life is short, give kindness to others people is more useful,more than give badness.