Most contracts are in writing, whether a formal deed or
agreement, or a less formal memorandum or heads of agreement, or
correspondence. Whatever form the record of the contract may take,
it is common for parties later to disagree on what words in the
contract mean.
Language, or more particularly words as they are used in
language, may not have precise meanings. Words can have many
meanings, or shades of meanings (this is the linguistic concept of
polysemy). The meaning of a single word or phrase in a contract can
be very significant, and have substantial consequences, whether
beneficial or detrimental, for a party.
An example was given by Steven Pinker at the commencement of his
recent book The Stuff of Thought (Steven Pinker is now a
Professor in the Department of Psychology at Harvard University,
and previously taught in the Department of Brain &
Cognitive Sciences at MIT).
