Vagueness of the English Language
Author: Zhao Meiqin Supervisor: Mu Jinjiang
Foreign Language Department, Wenzhou Teachers' College
【Abstract】This paper is devoted to the vagueness of the English language. Being
a natural characteristic of the language, vagueness exists in concept and meaning
originally. This paper also tries to explore the intentional vagueness which is
made by people for a certain purpose in daily life and social communication. Though
vagueness has the positive rhetorical effects on language, meanwhile we should
use it appropriately to avoid the harm it does to the language.
【Key words】vagueness of concept, vagueness of meaning, positive rhetorical effects
1. A story concerning about the vagueness of the language
2. The cause of the vagueness
2.1 The complexity of the world and the generality of human thinking produce the
vagueness in language.
2.2 Sometimes vagueness is intentional.
3 The existed vagueness
3.1 The vagueness of concept
3.1.1 Why can the words belonging to one semantic field often produce vagueness?
3.1.2 Vagueness between two antonyms
3.2 Vagueness for the uncertainty of the meaning
3.2.1 Words with vague meaning originally
The commonly used words such as proximately, possible, probable, likely, around,
sometimes, seem, certain, etc., have the uncertain meaning. They express vague
meanings.
3.2.2 Words with uncertain number
3.2.3 Adverb of degree
3.2.4 Some words with more than one meaning
3.2.5 The possessive construction
3.2.6 Vagueness verb brings
4. Intentional vagueness
This vagueness comes into
4.1 Use vague words to degrade a promise or to let the receivers fell uncertain.
4.2 Use uncertain words to protect the speakers.
4.3 Use numerous vague words to intense the atmosphere, and to strengthen emotional
effect, or to intend to enlarge a fact to express one's dissatisfaction.
5.Positive rhetorical effects
5.1 It can make the meaning vague, thoughtful, and thus meaningful.
5.2Use the vague words to demonstrate, to explain or to describe vividly, and
this cannot be done by the clear words .
5.3 On some occasions, vague words can seem more polite, acceptable, it can get
the best communicative results.
6.The advantage and the disadvantage of the vagueness
Conclusion
From all above, we can see the vagueness is a common phenomenon of the language,
also it's a way which can promote communicating, strengthen emotion. It can help
smooth in daily life and social communication. But meanwhile we shouldn't exaggerate
its effect, and neglect its opposite side-exactness. We should deal well with
the relation of the two sides. In the science and technology field with high exactness,
we should try to use exact language avoiding the confusion and ambiguity, and
make sure that it's serious and exact in meaning. In a whole, the aim of studying
the vagueness of the language is to grasp the exact degree of its application
in order to make full use of vagueness. And on the other hand, we should pay attention
to its defects and use vagueness appropriately. That's the right attitude of dealing
with the vagueness.
Bibliography:
1.wu tianping 1979 About vague words Foreign languages
2.Zhang zhengbang 1986 New English Grammar Shanghai version Publishing House
3.Li xiaoming 1985 Vague: the myth of acknowledgement of human
4.The works of Marx and Engels People's Publishing House
5.The introduction of semantics 1997 The Commercial Press
6. Semantics 1987 Shanghai foreign language education Publishing House
