CHAPTER I

DISCUSSION
A. Definition of Ambiguity
Ambiguity is word, phrase or sentence having two or more
distinctive.1 Ambiguity appear when we cant decide what the
meaning of that word, phrase or sentence.2
B. Types of Ambiguity
There are three types of ambiguity:
1. Lexical Ambiguity
Lexical ambiguity is word having two or more
distinctive meaning.
In english :
Bank

Place to store money

Star

A point of light in the sky at night

Nose of elephant

river side

famous figure

Trunk

part of tree

1 Goerge Yule, The Study of Language, ( Cambrige University Press:

New York, 2010), Page. 98.
2 Mansoer Pateda, Semantik Leksikal, (PT. Rineka Cipta: Jakarta,
2010),Page. 201.

Race

Contest of speed

ethnic group

Kind of animal

Bat

something that used in

sport
In indonesia
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.

Gugur
Bisa
Tahu
Jazz
Bangkit
Putri

= nama musim atau mati

= dapat melakukan sesuatu atau racun
= makanan atau sudah mengerti
= salah satu jenis musik atau merk kendaraan
=memulai kegiatan kembali atau nama kue
= anak atau nama gelar di kerajaan

In Madura
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.

Apa
Bjh
Palang
Getthas
Roma

= buwenah sere otabeh atanyah

=ghighi otabeh besse
= tongkana labeng otabe musibe
= nyamana kakanan otabeh gempang sake
= bengko otabeh nama kota e italia.

2. Phrase ambiguity
Phrase Ambiguity is Phrase having two or more
distinctive meaning.
In english

Hot chocolate and milk

NP

NP

Adj

noun

noun

noun
Noun

Noun

adj

noun
hot

Chocolate

Milk
And

hot Chocolate and

milk
*both of them is hot

* only the

chocolate that hot

A smart boy and girl
NP
Det

adj

Noun
Noun

smart

C noun
boy

and girl

* both of them are smart

NP
Noun

det

adj

Noun

Noun

smart

boy

and

girl
* only the boy who smart
Cute cat and dog
NP

Adj

NP

noun

noun

noun
Noun

Noun

adj

noun
cute

cat

And

dog
cute

and
dog
*both of them is cute

cat

*only the cat that cute

Beautiful girl and flower

NP

NP

Adj

Noun

Noun

Beautiful
and
flower
beautiful

C Noun

girl

and

Adj

Noun

Noun

Good
book

writer

girl

*only the girl who is

Good writer and book

NP

Adj
Noun

Noun

flower

*both of them is beautiful

beautiful

Noun

NP

Noun

Noun

Noun Adj

Noun

book

writerand

and

*both of them is good

good
*only the writer who is good.

In indonesia
a. Gudang garam= tempat penyimpanan garam atau merk
rokok
b. Kopi dan teh panas= kopi dan teh yang panas atau teh
saja yang panas
c. Kambing hitam

= kambing berwarna hitam atau

orang yang dituduh Bersalah

d. Tangan kanan = tangan sebelah kanan atau orang
kepercayaan
In madura
a. Toron tana
e madure
b. Sere penang
c. Lampu mera

= toron ka tana otabe nama tradisi

= sere so penang otabe bhekalan
= lampu se aberna mera otabe lambu

lalu lintas
3. Sentence ambiguity
Sentence ambiguity is sentence having two or more
distinctive meaning.
In english
I saw a man with telescope
S

NP

Noun

VP

det

NP

PP

pre

NP

saw A

man with telescope

*With telescope, I saw a man

S

NP

VP

Noun

Verb

NP
NP

PP

Det

I
telescope

Noun

saw

pre

NP

man

with

*I saw a man carrying a telescope

The little boy hit the child with the toy

S

NP

Det

adj

VP

Noun

Verb

NP

NP

Det
NP
Det

PP

pre

The
little
with
the
toy

boy

hit

The

child

*The little boy hit the child who is playing the boy
S

NP

Det

VP

adj

Noun

Verb

NP

det

PP

pre

NP
det
noun
the
with the

little

boy

hit

the

toy

*the little boy uses the toy to hit

The children put the toy in the box

NP

Det

VP

Noun

det

NP

PP

pre

NP

child

det
The

children put

the

box
*In the box, the children put the toy

toy

N
in

the

NP

VP

Det

Noun

Verb

NP

NP

PP

Det

pre

NP
Det

The

childrend put

The

toy

in

box
*The children put the toy which is in the box

A teacher sees his students in the class

S

NP

Det

VP

Noun

det

NP

PP

pre
det

NP
N

the

teacher

sees

his

students

in

the

class
*In the class, a teacher sees his students
S

NP

Det

VP

Noun

Verb

NP

NP

Det

PP

pre

NP
Det

teacher sees

his students

in

class
*The teacher sees his students who is in the class

the

He reads a book on the table

NP

VP

Noun

NP

det

PP

pre

NP

det
He

reads

book on

N
the

table
*On the table, he read a book
S

NP

Noun

VP

Verb

NP

NP

Det
NP
Det

PP

pre

He
the

reads

book

on

table
*He read a book which is on the table
In Indonesia
a. Saya melihat seorang pria dengan teleskop
*Dengan teleskop, saya melihat seorang pria
*Saya melihat seorang pria yang memegang teleskop
b. Guru melihat murid-murid di dalam kelas
*Di dalam kelas, guru melihat murid-murid
* Guru melihat murid-murid yang berada di dalam kelas
c. Dia membaca buku di atas meja
*Di atas meja, dia membaca buku
*dia membaca buku yang berada di atas meja
In madura
a. Ghuru ngabes moreddhe e delem kellas
* E delem kelas, guru ngabes moreddhe
* Guru ngabes moreddhe se e delem kelas
b. Ali maca buku e atas meja.
*E atas meja, Ali maca buku.
*Ali maca buku se bede e atas meja