Investigating Ambiguity in Titles of Children’s Literary Texts by African Authors

Abstract

This study explores the use of ambiguity in the titles of Nigerian children's literature, focusing on 34 randomly selected titles from a population of 76. Through a descriptive and analytical approach, the research investigates how ambiguity manifests in children’s book titles and its potential role in captivating young readers. Drawing on Wittgenstein’s Use Theory, the study identifies and categorizes various types of ambiguity, including lexical, structural, metaphorical, pragmatic, and referential. The research reveals that lexical ambiguity is the most prevalent type (58.8%), followed by structural ambiguity (20.6%). Metaphorical, pragmatic, and referential ambiguities make up smaller proportions of the dataset. The analysis demonstrates that ambiguity in titles enriches the reading experience by offering multiple layers of interpretation, engaging readers’ imaginations, and enhancing comprehension. While prescriptive linguists may consider these ambiguities anomalies that disrupt clarity, modern linguistic approaches view them as deliberate stylistic choices, aimed at attracting and stimulating the young audience. This study contributes to the understanding of how linguistic features such as ambiguity can be leveraged to foster curiosity and interest in children’s literature, thus enriching both the narrative experience and language acquisition.