Rethinking ambiguity across species

Abstract

Ambiguity—the capacity for a signal to support multiple interpretations—has long been regarded as a hallmark of human language, linked to sophisticated syntax and pragmatics. Yet recent evidence shows that ambiguity is also widespread in non-human communication systems, especially among primates, where signals are routinely disambiguated through social and interactional context. We maintain that ambiguity is not a communicative flaw but an evolved strategy that enhances efficiency and flexibility across species. Drawing on cross-species data and probabilistic modelling, we argue that ambiguity offers adaptive benefits: balancing signal cost, informativeness, and interpretive flexibility. We propose that pragmatic ambiguity resolution likely predates language and reflects shared cognitive capacities for social inference. Recognising ambiguity as a comparative phenomenon reframes debates on language evolution and highlights shared adaptive pressures shaping communication systems.