Terminology

Encyclopedia : T : TE : TER : Terminology

Terminology, in its general sense, simply refers to the usage and study of terms, that is to say words and compound words generally used in specific contexts.

Terminology also refers to a more formal discipline which systematically studies of the labelling or designating of concepts particular to one or more subject fields or domains of human activity, through research and analysis of terms in context, for the purpose of documenting and promoting correct usage. This study can be limited to one language or can cover more than one language at the same time (multilingual terminology, bilingual terminology, and so forth).

Contents

1 Overview
2 Types of terminology
3 Terminology as a discipline
4 Typology
5 See also
6 External links

Overview

The discipline of terminology is based on its own theoretical principles and consists primarily of the following aspects:

analysing the concepts and concept structures used in a field or domain of activity
identifying the terms assigned to the concepts
in the case of bilingual or multilingual terminology, establishing correspondences between terms in the various languages
compiling the terminology, on paper or in databases
managing terminology databases
creating new terms, as required

Types of terminology

A distinction is made between two types of terminology:

Ad hoc terminology, which deals with a single term or a limited number of terms
Systematic terminology, which deals with all the terms in a specific subject field or domain of activity

Ad hoc terminology is prevalent in the translation profession, where a translation for a specific term (or group of terms) is required quickly to solve a particular translation problem.

Terminology as a discipline

As a discipline, terminology is related to translation alongside which it is often taught in universities and translation schools. Large translation departments and translation bureaus will often have a terminology section, or will require translators to do terminology research.

Typology

Terminology is also defined by context, the study of terms primarily concerned with organizing them by the context in which they are used. These contexts may include:

Military terminology
Political terminology
Scientific terminology
Technical terminology

External links

[Terminology] from the Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec website