What is the Difference Between Lexical and Structural Ambiguity?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between lexical and structural ambiguity lies in the source of the ambiguity.
Lexical Ambiguity occurs when a single word has more than one meaning, and it is also known as semantic ambiguity. It is a result of polysemy, which means that words have multiple meanings. Lexical ambiguity is sometimes used deliberately to create puns and other wordplays. For example, "We saw her duck" can have two meanings: seeing her pet animal or seeing her bend to avoid something.
Structural Ambiguity arises when the structure of a phrase, clause, or sentence creates ambiguity because it may be interpreted in more than one way. This type of ambiguity is due to the structure of the sentence. The intended meaning of structural ambiguity can be understood by the prosodic features such as stress and intonation. For example, "The minister married her sister" can have two meanings: the minister is marrying his sister or the minister is marrying someone who happens to have a sister.
In summary, the main difference between lexical and structural ambiguity is that lexical ambiguity is caused by a single word with multiple meanings, while structural ambiguity is caused by the structure of a sentence or phrase that can be interpreted in multiple ways.
Comparative Table: Lexical vs Structural Ambiguity
Here is a table comparing lexical and structural ambiguity:
| Feature | Lexical Ambiguity | Structural Ambiguity |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Occurs when a word has more than one possible meaning. | Occurs when the structure of a sentence leads to multiple interpretations. |
| Cause | Words having multiple meanings, also known as polysemy. | Syntactic variations, such as embedded phrases or clauses within a sentence. |
| Examples | - "Duck" in "We saw her duck" (verb vs. noun). | - "He picked the flowers with a smile" (prepositional phrase placement). |
| Intended Meaning | Can be understood by the context. | Can be understood by the prosodic features such as stress and intonation. |
| Types | Polysemy and homonymy. | Surface structure ambiguity and deep structure ambiguity. |
Lexical ambiguity is caused by the multiple meanings of a word, while structural ambiguity arises from the structure of a sentence.
- Semantic vs Syntactic
- Ambiguous vs Ambivalent
- Syntax vs Diction
- Post-Structuralism vs Structuralism
- Structuralism vs Formalism
- Grammar, Syntax vs Semantics
- Structural Isomers vs Stereoisomers
- Structuralism vs Functionalism
- Geometric Isomers vs Structural Isomers
- Semantics vs Pragmatics
- Inflectional vs Derivational Morphology
- Linguistics vs Applied Linguistics
- Structured vs Unstructured
- Structure vs Infrastructure
- Classes vs Structures
- Syntax Error vs Logical Error
- Structure vs Layout
- Traditional Grammar vs Modern Linguistics
- Literal vs Figurative Language