Biunivoc

Biunivoc is a term used in the field of linguistics and philosophy to describe a language or a system of symbols where each symbol or word has a unique meaning and each meaning is represented by a unique symbol. This concept is often contrasted with ambiguity, where a single symbol can have multiple meanings, or with redundancy, where multiple symbols can represent the same meaning.

In the context of logic and mathematics, biunivocity is a property of a function or a relation where each element in the domain maps to a unique element in the range, and each element in the range is the image of a unique element in the domain. This ensures that the function or relation is both injective (one-to-one) and surjective (onto).

Biunivocity is also relevant in the study of natural languages. For instance, in some constructed languages, such as Esperanto, the designers aim to create a biunivocal system to minimize ambiguity and ensure clear communication. However, natural languages often exhibit varying degrees of biunivocity, with some words having multiple meanings (polysemy) and some meanings being expressed by multiple words (synonymy).

The concept of biunivocity is closely related to the principles of clarity and precision in communication. In fields such as law, science, and engineering, biunivocality is often sought to avoid misunderstandings and ensure that statements are both true and informative.