Semantic Ambiguity in Selected English Comic Videos on Social Media Platforms

Abstract

This study undertakes a linguistic analysis of how semantic ambiguity functions as a primary mechanism for generating humor in English-language comic vignettes on social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. The research is theoretically anchored Semantic Script Theory of Humor (SSTH), with a specific analytical focus on lexical relations including polysemy, homonymy, homophony, paronymy, and homography. Adopting a qualitative approach informed by influential works on semantic theory (Leech, 1974; Cruse, 1986; Kess, 1992), this paper examines a purposively sampled corpus of seven video extracts. Through a detailed interpretive analysis of these extracts, the study interprets the recurring strategies by which content creators leverage linguistic ambiguity to produce comedic outcomes. The findings contribute to the broader scholarly discourse on the mechanics of humor in digitally mediated communication and highlight the evolving nature of verbal comedy in online contexts.