(DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH FACULTY OF ARTS NASARAWA STATE UNIVERSITY, KEFFI, 2020-01-28) Tanimu, Yusuf; Amende, Charles A.; Salisu, Muhammad Raj
This study investigates ambiguity in Tiv discoui'se with focus on lexical and structural ambiguity. Ambiguity connotes a situation where a word or sentence has more than one
meaning or interpretation; and lexical ambiguity is a type of ambiguity created by a particular lexical item or lexical unit (a word). Ambiguity affects communication, where meaning is distorted between a speaker and a listener, leading to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. This study examines ambiguity occasioned by lexical item, sentence structure, homonymy, polysemy and sense of a word. It unveils instances of such ambiguities in Tiv and highlights appropriate choice of words and the role of context in ensuring disambiguation in Tiv discourse. This is done, in order to engender effective
communication in Tiv as well as to contribute to the development of the Tiv language.