Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
University of Kerbala
College of Education for Human Sciences
Department of English
Vagueness in Language
By:
Huda Hameed Yacop
2025
Vagueness in Language
Vagueness in language has its roots in the field of philosophy, which is considered the source and core of other disciplines. Philosophers and scholars have proposed numerous definitions of vagueness. Charles S. Peirce, an American philosopher, is credited as the originator of defining vagueness in language. He characterized vagueness as “A proposition is vague where there are possible states of things concerning which it is intrinsically uncertain whether, had they been contemplated by the speaker, he would have regarded them as excluded or allowed by the proposition” (Peirce, 1902, p. 748). This area has seen a change in focus from philosophy to linguistics in recent years. Consequently, vague language is now commonly viewed as an essential aspect of speech. Alston (1964, p. 4) provides a traditional explanation of vagueness, stating that a word is considered vague when there are instances in which its applicability is not clearly determined.
Cruz et al. (2017, p. 233) argue that vagueness leads to multiple interpretations of a statement due to imprecision. For example, “The system should respond as fast as possible” can have interpretations ranging from a few milliseconds to several days. It is possible to communicate vagueness by using vague language. Vague language, characterized by flexibility and uncertainty, involves conveying uncertain connotations. In various social interactions, people rely on communication to interact with one another. Language serves as a means for this interaction and connection within society. Understanding language and its meanings facilitates this connection. According to Pan (2012, p. 2530), since vagueness is naturally present in language, it is an unavoidable aspect of communication, as no natural language can express anything precisely enough. Jaufillaili et al. (2017, p. 66) define vague language as implying meaning without explicitly stating it. Therefore, in conversations where vague expressions are used, the message is understood by both participants, even if it is not clearly articulated.
Ullmann (1972, p. 118) identifies four contributing factors of vagueness: (a) the generic nature of words; (b) the inherent contextual dependence and lack of homogeneity in meaning; (c) the lack of clear-cut boundaries in the non-linguistic world; and (d) the lack of familiarity with the referents of words. Furthermore, Crystal and Davy’s (1975, p. 82) present four reasons for vagueness: (a) temporary memory loss leading to forgetting the appropriate word; (b) absence of a suitable word in the language repertoire or ignorance about it by the addresser; (c) the conversation topic not requiring precision; thus, an approximation suffices; and (d) the deliberate selection of vague expressions to cultivate a particular ambience.
