Ambiguity actually makes language more efficient, by allowing for the reuse of short, efficient sounds that listeners can easily disambiguate with the help of context, researchers have claimed.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Why did language evolve? While the answer might seem obvious — as a way for individuals to exchange information — linguists and other students of communication have debated this ...

In his spirited assault on the imbecilities of current on-trend chatter (“The real threat to the empire of English”, Life & Arts, FT Weekend, June 5), Janan Ganesh perhaps overstates his case by ...

For example, the following sentence lends itself to two possible interpretations: (1) Old men and women left the theater. What does “old” modify in this sentence? “Men” or “men and women”? In other ...