Communication involves a great deal of uncertainty. Prima facie, it is therefore surprising that biological communication systems—from cellular to human—exhibit a high degree of ambiguity and often leave its resolution to contextual cues. This puzzle deepens once we consider that contextual information may diverge between individuals. In the following we lay out a model of ambiguous communication in iterated interactions between subjectively rational agents lacking a common contextual prior. We argue ambiguity’s justification to lie in endowing interlocutors with means to flexibly adapt language use to each other and the context of their interaction to serve their communicative preferences. Linguistic alignment is shown to play an important role in this process; it foments convergence of contextual expectations and thereby leads to agreeing use and interpretation of ambiguous messages. We conclude that ambiguity is ecologically rational when (i) interlocutors’ (beliefs about) contextual expectations are generally in line or (ii) they interact multiple times in an informative context, enabling for the alignment of their expectations. In light of these results meaning multiplicity can be understood as an opportunistic outcome enabled and shaped by linguistic adaptation and contextual information. 1. Meaning Multiplicity in Communication2. Ambiguous Signalling through Pragmatic Inference 2.1. Preliminaries2.2. Signalling behaviour2.3. Communicative success2.4. Iterated interactions3. Predictions for Single and Iterated Interactions 3.1. Simulations3.2. Exploration and past experience3.3. Preemptive adaptation4. Discussion5. Conclusion Appendix Meaning Multiplicity in Communication Ambiguous Signalling through Pragmatic Inference 2.1. Preliminaries2.2. Signalling behaviour2.3. Communicative success2.4. Iterated interactions Preliminaries Signalling behaviour Communicative success Iterated interactions Predictions for Single and Iterated Interactions 3.1. Simulations3.2. Exploration and past experience3.3. Preemptive adaptation Simulations Exploration and past experience Preemptive adaptation Discussion Conclusion Appendix

中文翻译：

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不确定性下的信号：没有共同先验的解释性对齐

沟通涉及很多不确定性。因此，从表面上看，令人惊讶的是，从细胞到人类的生物通信系统表现出高度的模糊性，并且经常将其解决方案留给上下文线索。一旦我们考虑到上下文信息可能会因人而异，这个难题就会加深。在下文中，我们在缺乏共同上下文先验的主观理性代理之间的迭代交互中展示了模棱两可的交流模型。我们认为歧义的理由在于赋予对话者以灵活地适应彼此的语言使用和他们的互动环境以服务于他们的交际偏好的手段。语言对齐被证明在这个过程中发挥着重要作用；它促使上下文期望的趋同，从而导致对模棱两可的信息的一致使用和解释。我们得出的结论是，当 (i) 对话者的（对）上下文期望通常一致或（ii）他们在信息上下文中多次交互时，歧义是生态合理的，从而使他们的期望保持一致。根据这些结果，多样性可以被理解为一种由语言适应和上下文信息促成和塑造的机会主义结果。1. 沟通中的多重意义2。通过语用推理 2.1 的歧义信号。预赛2.2。信号行为2.3。沟通成功2.4。迭代交互3。单一和迭代交互的预测 3.1。模拟3.2。探索和过去的经验3.3。4. 抢先适应 讨论5。结论附录通过语用推理2.1在通信中的歧义信号的含义多样性。预赛2.2。信号行为2.3。沟通成功2.4。迭代交互 初步信号行为 沟通成功 迭代交互 单一和迭代交互的预测 3.1。模拟3.2。探索和过去的经验3.3。抢先适应 模拟 探索和过往经验 抢先适应 讨论 结论 附录 迭代交互 初步信号行为 沟通成功 迭代交互 单一和迭代交互的预测 3.1。模拟3.2。探索和过去的经验3.3。抢先适应 模拟 探索和过往经验 抢先适应 讨论 结论 附录 迭代交互 初步信号行为 沟通成功 迭代交互 单一和迭代交互的预测 3.1。模拟3.2。探索和过去的经验3.3。抢先适应 模拟 探索和过往经验 抢先适应 讨论 结论 附录