We can find that there are numerous statements concerning the definition of vague language as property of indeterminate language and it can be a tool for
expressing politeness when protecting self. From the explanations above, it can be concluded that the types of vague
language can be restricted into three categories, they are: 1.
Vague reference is vagueness refer to nouns or things in a non-specific or reference to the words whose meanings is imprecise or uncertain.
2. Vague additives to number is vagueness refer to to amounts, number, times
or quantity in impreciseness. 3.
Vague implicative is vagueness as its meaning is unspecified in the context, it can be a plural number to have a vague meaning or it such round number
used without strict accuracy. The above discussions define three types of vague language. As one of the
purposes of this study is to identify the types of vague language and why do it is used. Moreover, in the following discussions explained the reason for using vague
language that generally used in news.
2.2.1 The reasons for using vague language
Vague language is appropriately applied in the news reporting when the incident is in changing condition, which may contribute to inexactitude,
inadequacy, and incompleteness of the information. Sometimes reporters or editors could not figure out the exact word or lexicon gap to describe the incident.
In that case, vague language would be the best choice to present good service with
the expectation of making a profit in news reporting. Hence, there are several reasons for using vague language.
According to Cutting 2007:22 the reason for using vague expression is “sometimes speakers are tired or in too much of a hurry to find the right word.
Sometimes they do not process words properly or as they would wish. It can also be the case that there are emotional reasons for non-
processing”. Koester 2007:52-3 points that more frequent occurrence of vague language
in genres like procedural discourse; news reporting can be linked to the speakers‟ focus on conveying information. It seems that discourse, which is more
information-oriented, is also likely to contain more vague language. When referring to facts and information, vague items are used for a number of reasons:
1. They have a cohesive function, where the referent is specified in the
context. 2.
The exact information may not be known. 3.
It is not necessary to be more explicit, because implicit reference conveys sufficient information, because of the knowledge shared by the discourse
participants as members of the same professional discourse community. While, Grice 1975:45
offers the reason for vagueness: to say that „there are cases actual or possible in which one just does not know whether to apply
the expression or to withhold it and ones not knowing is not due to ignorance of the facts‟. It means that vagueness is used because the speaker does not know
whether a statement would be true or not, in addition, whether it would be appropriate in the circumstances to make such a statement.
Later, Crystal and Davy 1975:111 –12 note that „the use of lexical
vagueness is undou btedly a main sign of social and personal relaxation‟. They
give four reasons for vagueness: 1.
Memory loss the speakers forgets the correct word; 2.
The language has no suitable exact word, or the speaker does not know it; 3.
The subject of the conversation is not such that it requires precision, and an approximation will do; and
4. The choice of a vague item is deliberate to maintain the atmosphere.
From those explanations, it can said that the reason for using vague language is that the speakers say something for which they lack adequate evidence
or they do not firmly believe that the evidence is accurate. It commonly occurs in news reporting. The reporters prefer to use vague expressions as self-protection
device to avoid making false statements, which may be wrong or uncertain. Besides those reasons above, other reasons are several functions of vague
language. Vague language occurs in a variety of contexts and serves variety of functions. In news reporting, it can help the reporter to use language appropriately
and tactfully to make the readers understand the language better. In addition, vague language can function to hedging the statement that the
fact still uncertain. Meanwhile, there are several functions of vague language used in news reporting.
2.2.2 The function of vague language
