ive connotation of “head”. Finally, plausibility leads us to choose the second interpretation. We know that it is not realistic for it to be a anatomical head wandering around looking for arms. Therefore we turn to the other definition, again aided by the context, to the plausible definition of a national leader looking for weapons.“Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant” This phrase is ambiguous because it is unclear whether “shooting” is an action or a modifier, and whether “try” is meant as to attempt or to put on trial. If “shooting” is taken as a verb we are led to believe that the court is going to attempt to physically harm the defendant by shooting him or her. However, if “shooting” is a modifier, and “try” meant in the legal sense then we understand that the court is going to render a verdict in regards to a person accused of a shooting. The first interpretation is supported by frequency. “Try” meaning “to attempt” is much more common to most people than the legal connotation. If that is the interpretation of “try” then the phrase must have another verb to represent what is being attempted, therefore “shooting” is taken as an action, also supporting the first interpretation. On the other hand, plausibility provides the most support for the legal interpretation. It is implausible, at least in a “civilized” country like the United States that a defendant in a trial would be shot by the courts. Therefore, we are able to discern that the second interpretation is the correct one. As we have seen in these examples the different factors interact in many different ways to help us understand ambiguity. Often the deciding factor lies not in facets of language itself, but in our knowledge and experience, the plausibility factor. However, our first impressions may be based on other factors indi...
