Explanation
In amphiboly, the words remain the same, but their syntactic relationships allow for more than one interpretation. The uncertainty lies in the structure of the sentence.
Example
She saw the man with the binoculars.
Counterexample
The ambiguous single word “bank” creates lexical, not syntactic, ambiguity.
Distinction
Distinguish from polysemy and homonymy: In those cases, the ambiguity lies primarily in the word itself, not in its connection to other elements.
Effect on thought and perception
Forces the reader to weigh alternative sentence structures against one another.
Resonance
A sentence supports multiple possible relational frameworks simultaneously.
Cite this entry
Reich, Michael (Hrsg./ed.): „Amphiboly“. Atlas der Sprache, AT-HAR-0004. ATLAS 251, data model 1.6.0. https://atlasoflanguage.com/concept/AT-HAR-0004The address remains stable; editorial content may evolve. A verified modification date per entry is not yet available. Include your access date for precise references.