Terms and specialized vocabulary
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Pius ten Hacken
Abstract
In the traditional understanding of terminology, a terminological definition gives necessary and sufficient conditions for a concept. However, natural concepts are based on prototypes. Prototypes are marked by typicality effects with fuzzy boundaries determined by approximate, scalar conditions and preference rules.For a significant part of specialized vocabulary, imposing a terminological definition is problematic, because it is a fairly arbitrary decision to fix precise boundaries in a continuum. The relevant concepts are based on prototypes, in the same way as natural concepts. We only find strict terminological definitions when it is necessary to determine exact boundaries. Such a need arises in legal and scientific contexts. The enforcement of laws and the evaluation of scientific claims depends on precise definitions of the underlying concepts.Imposing a terminological definition can be problematic for various reasons. One is that the concept may already exist in people’s competence and thus have a prototype structure. Another reason may be that different theories use different concepts with the same name. It should also be taken into account that new insights may require adaptation of the definition. Linguistically, a terminological definition creates a new, abstract object that exists independently of speakers’ linguistic competence.
Abstract
In the traditional understanding of terminology, a terminological definition gives necessary and sufficient conditions for a concept. However, natural concepts are based on prototypes. Prototypes are marked by typicality effects with fuzzy boundaries determined by approximate, scalar conditions and preference rules.For a significant part of specialized vocabulary, imposing a terminological definition is problematic, because it is a fairly arbitrary decision to fix precise boundaries in a continuum. The relevant concepts are based on prototypes, in the same way as natural concepts. We only find strict terminological definitions when it is necessary to determine exact boundaries. Such a need arises in legal and scientific contexts. The enforcement of laws and the evaluation of scientific claims depends on precise definitions of the underlying concepts.Imposing a terminological definition can be problematic for various reasons. One is that the concept may already exist in people’s competence and thus have a prototype structure. Another reason may be that different theories use different concepts with the same name. It should also be taken into account that new insights may require adaptation of the definition. Linguistically, a terminological definition creates a new, abstract object that exists independently of speakers’ linguistic competence.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction ix
- Foreword xvii
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Part I. Fundamentals for term base development
- Terms and specialized vocabulary 3
- Frames as a framework for terminology 14
- How to build terminology science? 34
- Terminology and lexicography 45
- Intensional definitions 60
- Enumerations count 82
- Associative relations and instrumentality in causality 101
- Ontological definition 128
- Domain specificity 153
- Getting to the core of a terminological project 180
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Part II. Methods and technology
- Automatic Term Extraction 203
- Terminology tools 222
- Concept modeling vs. data modeling in practice 250
- Machine translation, translation memory and terminology management 276
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Part III. Management and quality assurance (QA)
- Terminology work and crowdsourcing 291
- Terminology and translation 304
- Managing terminology projects 324
- Terminology management within a translation quality assurance process 341
- Managing terminology in commercial environments 360
- TBX: A terminology exchange format for the translation and localization industry 393
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Part IV. Case studies
- Using frame semantics to build a bilingual lexical resource on legal terminology 427
- Terminology and localization 451
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Part V. Language and terminology
- Language policy and terminology in South Africa 467
- Language policies and terminology policies in Canada 489
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Part VI. Terminology and interculturality
- The social and organizational context of terminology work 507
- Index 521
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Introduction ix
- Foreword xvii
-
Part I. Fundamentals for term base development
- Terms and specialized vocabulary 3
- Frames as a framework for terminology 14
- How to build terminology science? 34
- Terminology and lexicography 45
- Intensional definitions 60
- Enumerations count 82
- Associative relations and instrumentality in causality 101
- Ontological definition 128
- Domain specificity 153
- Getting to the core of a terminological project 180
-
Part II. Methods and technology
- Automatic Term Extraction 203
- Terminology tools 222
- Concept modeling vs. data modeling in practice 250
- Machine translation, translation memory and terminology management 276
-
Part III. Management and quality assurance (QA)
- Terminology work and crowdsourcing 291
- Terminology and translation 304
- Managing terminology projects 324
- Terminology management within a translation quality assurance process 341
- Managing terminology in commercial environments 360
- TBX: A terminology exchange format for the translation and localization industry 393
-
Part IV. Case studies
- Using frame semantics to build a bilingual lexical resource on legal terminology 427
- Terminology and localization 451
-
Part V. Language and terminology
- Language policy and terminology in South Africa 467
- Language policies and terminology policies in Canada 489
-
Part VI. Terminology and interculturality
- The social and organizational context of terminology work 507
- Index 521
