A Fuzzy Logic Approach to Semantic Ambiguity in English Idiomatic Expressions

Author

Leyla Hajiyeva


Abstract

 Idiomatic expressions occupy a notoriously unstable region of the English lexicon: they resist the binary logic of literal versus figurative meaning that underlies much of classical semantic theory. This article proposes a fuzzy-logic framework for modelling the graded, context-sensitive nature of idiomatic meaning. Drawing on Zadeh’s theory of fuzzy sets and the compositional and non-compositional accounts of idiomaticity developed in cognitive and phraseological linguistics, the study constructs a membership-function model in which idioms are assigned degrees of idiomaticity, transparency, and compositionality along the [0,1] interval rather than being sorted into discrete categories. A corpus-informed sample of forty English idiomatic units is analysed using linguistic criteria — semantic transparency, syntactic flexibility, and substitutability — that are then converted into fuzzy membership scores through a simple triangular membership function and aggregated using a weighted fuzzy-mean operator. The resulting continuum reproduces linguistic intuitions that categorical models flatten, such as the difference between highly opaque idioms (kick the bucket) and partially transparent ones (spill the beans), while also predicting gradient acceptability judgments reported in the psycholinguistic literature on idiom processing. The article argues that fuzzy logic offers linguistics a formally precise, computationally implementable alternative to ad hoc scalar labels such as “more” or “less” idiomatic, with direct applications for lexicography, second-language pedagogy, and natural language processing systems that must resolve idiomatic ambiguity automatically. The article closes by outlining how the proposed model can be extended into a fuzzy inference system for automatic idiom detection.



Keywords

Fuzzy logic, Semantic ambiguity, Idiomaticity, Phraseology, Membership function, Cognitive linguistics, Natural language processing



Full Text:

Download Paper PDF


References


  • Cacciari, C., & Tabossi, P. (1988). The comprehension of idioms. Journal of Memory and Language, 27(6), 668–683.
  • Gibbs, R. W. (1993). Why idioms are not dead metaphors. In C. Cacciari & P. Tabossi (Eds.), Idioms: Processing, structure, and interpretation(pp. 57–77). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Cowie, A. P. (Ed.). (1998). Phraseology: Theory, analysis, and applications. Oxford University Press.
  • Fernando, C. (1996). Idioms and idiomaticity. Oxford University Press.
  • Zadeh, L. A. (1965). Fuzzy sets. Information and Control, 8(3), 338–353.
  • Boers, F., & Lindstromberg, S. (2009). Optimizing a lexical approach to instructed second language acquisition. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Hajiyeva, L. (2024). ANALYSING OF THE COMMONLY USED ENGLISH IDIOMS AND THEIR ROLE IN LEARNING ENGLISH. QƏDİM DİYAR, 25, 25.
  • Sag, I. A., Baldwin, T., Bond, F., Copestake, A., & Flickinger, D. (2002). Multiword expressions: A pain in the neck for NLP. In A. Gelbukh (Ed.), Computational linguistics and intelligent text processing(pp. 1–15). Springer.
  • Weinreich, U. (1969). Problems in the analysis of idioms. In J. Puhvel (Ed.), Substance and structure of language(pp. 23–81). University of California Press.
  • Seyidzadeh, L. E. (2019). Semantics of some slangs used in everyday speech in English with cognition.
  • Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M. (1980). Metaphors we live by. University of Chicago Press.
  • Gibbs, R. W., & Nayak, N. P. (1989). Psycholinguistic studies on the syntactic behavior of idioms. Cognitive Psychology, 21(1), 100–138.
  • Zadeh, L. A. (1975). Fuzzy logic and approximate reasoning. Synthese, 30(3–4), 407–428.
  • Imamguluyev, R. (2020, July). Application of fuzzy logic model for correct lighting in computer aided interior design areas. In International Conference on Intelligent and Fuzzy Systems(pp. 1644–1651). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
  • Abdullayev, T., Imamguluyev, R., & Umarova, N. (2021, August). Application of fuzzy logic model for optimal solution of light reflection value in lighting calculations. In International Conference on Theory and Application of Soft Computing, Computing with Words and Perceptions(pp. 384–391). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
  • Imamguluyev, R., Mikayilova, R., & Salahli, V. (2022). Application of a fuzzy logic model for optimal assessment of the maintenance factor affecting lighting in interior design. In Mobile Computing and Sustainable Informatics: Proceedings of ICMCSI 2022(pp. 463–474). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
  • Imamguluyev, R., Balakishiyev, E., & Agakishiev, N. (2020). Improving the mechanism of using the price factor in the effective regulation of agricultural production on the basis of fuzzy logic. International Journal of Innovative Technologies in Economy, 5, 32.
  • Imamguluyev, R., Sadiqova, L., Aliyeva, A., & Mammadhasanov, E. (2024, April). Fuzzy logic integration in smart environmental management systems: Paving the way for a greener future. In International Conference on Smart Environment and Green Technologies(pp. 381–389). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
  • Lakoff, G. (1973). Hedges: A study in meaning criteria and the logic of fuzzy concepts. Journal of Philosophical Logic, 2(4), 458–508.
  • Rosch, E. (1978). Principles of categorization. In E. Rosch & B. B. Lloyd (Eds.), Cognition and categorization(pp. 27–48). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
  • Titone, D. A., & Connine, C. M. (1999). On the compositional and noncompositional nature of idiomatic expressions. Journal of Pragmatics, 31(12), 1655–1674.
  • Zimmermann, H.-J. (2001). Fuzzy set theory—and its applications(4th ed.). Kluwer Academic Publishers.
  • Hajiyeva L. (2025). ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF AI IN MODERN ESL CLASSES. The Scientific Heritage, (166), 62-64. doi: 10.5281/zenodo.16763524
  • Mamdani, E. H., & Assilian, S. (1975). An experiment in linguistic synthesis with a fuzzy logic controller. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 7(1), 1–13.
  • Hajiyeva, L. E. (2026). PSEUDONYM AS AN INTEGRAL ELEMENT IN THE WORKS OF AZERBAIJANI, ENGLISH AND AMERICAN WRITERS AND POETS. Baltic Journal of Legal and Social Sciences, (2), 479-485. https://doi.org/10.30525/2592-8813-2026-2-57
  • Kövecses, Z. (2010). Metaphor: A practical introduction(2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.

 

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons