Vagueness in lexical definition

Abstract

Generally, all the cognitive models that have logical roots agree on “the centrality of the descriptive function in the ordinary language” . However, this realistic tendency –according to Robert Martin- must gets away from the positivist thésis submitting the ordinary language to logical algorithm. Contrary to that, R. Martin refers his trend to “the moderate realism” which submits the logical algorithm to the ordinary language and not the contrary: this ordinary language is characterized by opaqueness and ambiguity because of its indirect referential relation to the world, the inferences made in our usual speeches are characterized by opaqueness and lack of precision concerning their veridiction’s judgments: logically, are they true or false? The solution to this theoric problem –according to R.Martin- would be to modify the notion of logical veridiction itself. It should be based on relative gradation (±true, ±false) taking into consideration the subjectivity implanted in the catégorisation of the world by the speaker and the receiver. Most of this paper will be various applications of that thésis on prototypic definitions taken from the famed "lisānu al-`arab of 'ibni manẓūr" concepted referring to religious and mythological frames common to Arabs at that time