EQUIVOCATION AS AN INTERACTIONAL EVENT

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Abstract
There is an assumption shared by many professionals and lay persons that communication should be clear, direct, and complete. Rhetoricians such as Aristotle have advised public speakers to strive for clarity and avoid ambiguity. Speech courses also emphasize the need for a straightforward manner of speaking. According to Grice (1975), even ordinary conversation generally proceeds by the "cooperative principle." Conversants expect speakers to contribute messages that are relevant to the purpose or direction of the talk, to say no more or less than is required for the understood purpose, be truthful, and avoid obscurity and ambiguity.

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