ARCHIVED 2.5.2. Recognition of Terminological Units

 

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In specialized languages, the term is a linguistic unit made of a single word or of a word combination, and is usually associated with the same conventional definition when used by speakers of a given specialized language. A terminological unit may also be a symbol, a chemical or mathematical formula, a scientific name in Latin, an acronym, an initialism, or the official title of an organization, an administrative entity or an individual’s workingtitle (see also GORODETSKY 1990: 117).

Examples

  • Single word: proliferation
  • Word combination: nonproliferation treaty
  • Acronym: UNESCO
  • Symbol: JMP (an instruction in assembly language programming)
  • Chemical/Mathematical formula: H2O

Here are some clues that may help you identify a term:

  • The word or combination of words is consistently associated with the same concept.
  • The word or combination of words is consistently used within a particular subject field.
  • The combination of words is relatively lexicalized.
  • The word or combination of words recurs in your documentation.
  • The word or combination of words is set off by typographical devices such as italics, boldface print, or quotation marks.
  • The word or combination of words is preceded by words like known as, called.
  • Terms are generally nouns, but may be adjectives, verbs, adverbs, or derived phrasal compounds.
  • The word seems to have a specific meaning within the subject field and is not part of general vocabulary.
  • The word or combination of words may have synonyms or abbreviations.
  • The word or combination of words is used in opposition to or in contrast to another term.
  • The word or combination of words tends to co-occur repeatedly with the same noun, verb, or adjective.

Intensive textual analysis of the documentation available in a given subject field will help you observe what terminology is used. Over time, your ability to recognize terminological units will gradually improve. Eventually, you will notice that simple terms have a tendency to expand into complex ones in order to designate more and more subordinated concepts (for example, control, controller, graphics controller, AGP30-compliant graphics controller), until finally the complex terms contract into abbreviations (for example, AGP30 means Advanced Graphic Port-30; KBMS means Knowledge-Based Management System), some of which become simple terms (for example, radar).

Exercise

Read the following paragraph, then select the terminological units from the text.

The guilloche is a decorative motif consisting of two bands or ribbons intertwining around a row of BOSSES. The ribbons join at each end of the figure to make a continuous band. The guilloche originated in ancient Greek architectural ornamentation and was adapted by European furniture makers in all of the classically inspired traditions, beginning with RENAISSANCE FURNITURE. It was particularly popular in the British REGENCY STYLE. (BOYCE 2001: 133)

Question

Which of the following are terminological units? Select all answers that apply.

   Answers