| The vocabularies of human language are limited, but the things in the objectiveworld are limitless, so it is difficult for people to use the limited words to express thelimitless things. It is very natural for human beings to use fuzzy words to expressfuzzy objective things. Naturally, people will express the objective things by meansof fuzziness.The theory of traditional rhetoric often overemphasizes the importance of clear andprecise language. In fact, fuzziness phenomenon in the language can be foundeverywhere. It seems inevitable. Fuzziness is a basic feature of human language, andis also the normal phenomenon in the real world; hence, the languages that reflect theobjective world are bound to bear the feature of fuzziness. Although the fuzzinesshas no clear boundary, this language phenomenon is an objective existence.With the investigation of fuzzy linguistics, close attention has been paid to thefunction and rhetorical effects of fuzzy language in communication. Fuzzy rhetoric isa new branch of rhetoric and it is the fuzziness theory that provides a theoreticalbasis for the dialectical investigation of rhetoric. It sheds light on the comprehensiveand dialectical examination of speech communication and on the rectification of thepartiality of regarding precision as the sole principle of speech communication.In this paper, based on the studies of fuzzy language done by predecessors, therhetorical functions of fuzzy vocabulary are analyzed and summarized based onabundant and detailed and accurate living examples used in fuzzy language based onthe basic theories of fuzzy rhetoric, relevance theory and the theory of adaptation.Fuzzy vocabulary is studied with the method of material-oriented views, the methodof macro-visual study combined with micro-analysis, the method of static combined with dynamic, the method of description combined with analysis, and the method ofinduction combined with deduction, and thus the functions and laws achieved byfuzzy words in enhancing the effects expressed by language are explored. Thefuzziness of fuzzy words in different writings is analyzed and the rhetorical functionsof fuzzy words are elaborated from two aspects: maintaining interpersonal relationsand enhancing the effects expressed by language.The writer of this paper has collected a great deal of English and Chinese materialsof fuzzy rhetoric, which will make the analysis of this paper reliable and forceful. Bycomparing, analyzing and explaining specifically, the paper affirms the fact thatfuzziness exists universally in language communication. It is obvious that Fuzzinessis not the defect of natural language, but the embodiment of the tactful use oflanguage. In the communicative process, the communicators can use a variety offuzzy vocabularies intentionally to deal with a large number of information for theirown needs and purposes, to help them express their ideas more freely and exactly sothat they may achieve their aim in communication successfully. Therefore, a properand conscious use of fuzzy vocabulary can improve efficiency and flexibility oflanguage, take into account the varieties of language expression and bring aestheticenjoyment to many people, so it plays a significant and positive role in people’scommunicative activities. |
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