Lecture 3 TERMINOLOGY, SEMANTICS, AND LEXICOGRAPHY

The multidisciplinary nature of terminology Terminology emerged in the early 70s. It derived its knowledge from a number of established sciences, such as  informatics (knowledge engineering, artificial intelligence),  linguistics (semantics, lexicology, L.S.P., translation science),  documentation science,  classification science,  conceptology and nomenclature

The knowledge of these separated subject fields was brought together. These new developments gave rise to terminology as a multidisciplinary field of study, forming a basis not only for the mere preparation of alphabetical lists of terms, but - for the fundamental study of concepts and the ordering of knowledge, - for the transfer of knowledge, - for language mediation, - for storage and retrieval of information and - for knowledge engineering.

Terminology and semantics Lexical semantics = the study of the relationship between the linguistic sign and the object to which it refers, i.e., how a particular sign (word) can be associated with a specific referent (thing). Two main approaches: -the historical or diachronic; -the descriptive or synchronic.

Fish – semantic perspective E.g., fish = a cold-blooded vertebrate with gills and fins. Why is it called so in English?  Etymology: Old English fisc and Old Frisian fisk; cognate with the Latin word piscis.  (next step) the link between the initial meaning of fish and the other meanings the word has acquired over time.

LITERAL ANIMATE cold-blooded aquatic vertebrate with gills and fins INANIMATE flesh of animal eaten for food (shift in application)

FIGURATIVE HUMAN cold person (metaphor) CONCRETE, INANIMATE constellation (analogy of form) piece of hard wood used to strengthen the mast of a ship (analogy of form) casing-like part of a variable-depth sonar system (analogy of form) process for recovering lost mining equipment from a borehole (analogy with action of catching fish) oceanographic sensing device towed by a ship (analogy with action of catching fish)

FISH – a terminologist’s approach A terminologist wishing to study all the meanings of the term fish would do so by subject field: Biology: the animal Cuisine: flesh of the animal eaten for food Interpersonal communication: cold person Geographical exploration: oceanographic sensing device towed behind a ship Mining: process of recovering lost drilling tools from a borehole Ship building: (1) piece of hard wood used to strengthen the mast of a ship; (2) casing-like part of a variable-depth sonar system

Provisional conclusions =>The semanticist studies all the different meanings that have evolved over time and coexist for a given word; => The terminologist seeks to associate a number of semantic features with a given label in a given subject field. + The terminologist borrows methods of analysis from the semanticist to identify the full range of semantic features or characteristics of a concept.

Provisional conclusions Semantics and terminology differ in nature and purpose. Semantics deals with language as a system. Terminology primarily deals with communication in context. The terminologist works with special languages, viewing them as means of communication, not as systems.

Terminology and Lexicography By their very nature, T and L are closely related. (Lexicography = the study and practice of dictionary- making.) In common – the need to provide users with appropriate means of expression. However… => The lexicographer investigates the entire lexicon (all words in a l.), i.e., the total stock available to a community for its communication needs; =>The terminologist researches specialised vocabulary, i.e., the limited stock specific to a field of knowledge and used in a particular communication context.

Summary POINTS OF COMPTERMINOLOGYLEXICOGRAPHY NatureLexical discipline MaterialSpecialised voc.Lexicon ObjectiveTo encodeTo decode NomenclatureSpecificGlobal Units identified Simple terms, complex terms and terminological phrases Mainly single and highly-lexicalised words Features analysed Semantic features revealed by the context All semantic features DefinitionA single conceptAll meanings Key information medium Terminology recordDictionary entry End productTerminology fileDictionary

Exercise Select a term of interest to you and study it from a semantic, lexicographic and terminological standpoint, e.g., eye, head, leg, bed...

Note on ONTOLOGY Ontology – branch of philosophy that studies the nature of existence. Ontology, pl. ontologies, also used in terminology (the ontology of a domain/ field/ subject field)

The ontology of the subject field 1.Identifies the types of entitities or objects that are conceptualised within a subject field. 2.Designates the terms, the non-verbal identifiers, the symbols, the icons and other synonymous elements that are used to represent the specific concepts. 3.Defines concepts by specifying their essential features (ideally specifying the genus and the difference, thus associating the concept to the hierarchically higher concept and distinguishing it from related concepts. 4.Specifies the relations between the documented objects and the concepts 5.Specifies the axioms which govern the interaction or function of objects and concepts or which impose constraints on them.

Preparatory for next time… Terrier – hunting dog – tame dog – dog – canine – (one of the) Canidae (= canids, i.e., dogs, wolves, foxes; coyotes, dingoes, jackals, and African wild dogs) – carnivorous mammal – placentary mammal – mammal – vertebrate – (cordate) – animal – creature – form of life / organism – being – entity (something)

FURNITURE “a piece of furmiture designed for sitting” = seat -chair -armchair -love seat -sofa, -bench -stool