Dimensiuni ale limbajului n context carceral

In literature, the following types of ambiguity are considered relevant: lexical, morphological,
syntactical and pragmatic.
1) The slogan Tobacco is our middle name has a lexical ambiguity, given by the word tabacco, which
has the double meaning: a cigar and a name of a firm. The idea of creating such a slogan for advertising a
cigar is very original. The advertising agent managed to emphasize the importance of the tabacco, using this
lexical ambiguity, which in fact highlights two things at the same time: the slogan refers to a cigar and this is
of a great importance, tabacco being their middle name.
2) A morphological ambiguity in present in the slogan: Have it your way (Burger King), because the
pronoun your can be understood at singular, or at plural. This slogan could address at every person in
particular or it can address to a group of persons, which have the same whishes, ideas, needs, desires, etc.
3) The third type of ambiguity is the syntactical ambiguity. This type occurs when a non-predicative
verb can be transformed in different types of secondary sentences, depending on who and how does the
action. For example: Seeing him crying, can be understood like: she looks at him while he cries, or she
observes him while she cries. Here, it is ambiguous who the doer of the action is.
A slogan, which contains a syntactical ambiguity, is Managing the world’s information. In this slogan,
the verb managing can be understood as: we are always managing the world’s information (so everything is
on good hands), or while we are managing the world’s information (everything is on good hands), or if we are
managing the world’s information (everything is on good hands). In this case, the ambiguity is given by how
and when is the action believed to take place: continuously, uncertainly, certainly.
4) The last type of ambiguity is the pragmatic ambiguity. This is beyond syntax and refers to the way
people understand the same phrase. For example, the slogan: “Just do it” (Nike) can be seen as an obligation,
a recommendation, a threat, an imploration, depending on the accent and tone of the voice, but especially on
the context. In the same way, the slogan “Reach out and touch someone” – American Telephone and
Telegraph, or the slogan “Promise her anything, but give her Arpege” – Arpege Perfume, can be understood
not only as recommendations, as they normally are, but also as obligations or threats.
Ambiguities used in slogans emphasize two ore more qualities or aspects of the advertised product.
Many advertising agents create ambiguous slogans, with the purpose to say two or more things within the
same words. Being short and memorable but with multiple meanings, ambiguous slogans express more ideas
at the same time, underlining contextual facts or specific characteristics of one product.
5. Connotative Meanings in Slogans
Every word has a denotative and several connotative meanings. The denotative meaning is the most
limited meaning of a word found in a dictionary. According to J.A.Cuddon, the denotation of one word