Elīna Peina66 Expec a ions o he La ian Dic iona y Use s
on he Ideal Te minological Dic iona y
Ani a Hel iga
doi.o g/10.35321/ e m29-04
Expec a ions o he La ian Dic iona y
Use s on he Ideal Te minological
Dic iona y
ELĪNA PEINA
Liepāja Uni e si y, Ku zeme Ins i u e o Humani ies
ORCID id: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0003-3965-1006
ANITA HELVIGA
Liepāja Uni e si y, Ku zeme Ins i u e o Humani ies
ORCID id: h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0003-4534-5144
ABSTRACT
While s udying he s a e o con empo a y La ian e minog aphy, i has o be
acknowledged ha he e is a lack o well-designed dic iona ies wi h in oduc ions
ha explain he p inciples and in en ions o c ea ing he dic iona y; he e a e no
e e ences o he esou ces o o he indica o s ha a e impo an o he dic iona y
use . Be o e publishing any dic iona y, lexicog aphe s should be awa e o he
a ge use s, bu he e is a lack o s udies on he habi s and needs o he use s o
he e minological dic iona y. A con inued s udy in o he a i udes and habi s o
dic iona y use s is needed o make clea wha he public expec s om a e mi-
nological dic iona y, and ha is why a su ey was conduc ed among 161 La ian
bachelo , mas e , and doc o al s uden s wi h ega d o dic iona y use and cul u e.
This empi ical esea ch p esen s a esul o a p elimina y s udy on he opinions,
a i udes, and habi s o La ian dic iona y use s ega ding he use o e mi-
nological dic iona ies and hei dic iona y cul u e. The aim o he epo is o
p esen and discuss answe s o one o he open ques ions in he su ey: “In you
opinion, wha cha ac e is ics should he ideal e minological dic iona y ha e?”
By men ioning some o he s a emen s o be d awn om he su ey, i should be
highligh ed ha he dic iona y use in La ia wan s he dic iona ies o ha e an
in oduc ion ha explains e e y hing ha he use is looking o . Being awa e
ha i is almos impossible o c ea e an ideal dic iona y, a numbe o aspec s ha
a e ele an o he use a e e lec ed on in he epo .
KEYWORDS: e minological dic iona ies, use needs, dic iona y use s, lexicog aphy,
La ian e minog aphy.
67Te minologija | 2022 | 29
ANOTACIJA
Nag inėjan šiuolaikinės la ių e minog a ijos būklę eikia p ipažin i, kad ūks-
a ge ai pa eng ų žodynų su įžangomis, ku iose bū ų paaiškin i žodyno kū imo
p incipai i ke inimai; nė a nuo odų į iš eklius a ki us žodyno a o ojui s a bius
odiklius. P ieš išleisdami be kokį žodyną, leksikog a ai u ė ų žino i žodyno
ikslinį a o oją, ačiau ūks a y imų apie e minų žodynų a o ojų įp očius
i po eikius. No in išsiaiškin i, ko isuomenė ikisi iš e minų žodyno, eikia
ęs inio žodynų a o ojų požiū ių i įp očių y imo. Šio empi inio y imo me u
bu o apklaus as 161 La ijos bakalau o, magis an ū os i dok o an ū os s uden-
as. S aipsnyje pa eikiami p elimina ūs žodynų a o ojų La ijoje nuomonių,
požiū ių i įp očių, susijusių su e minų žodynų a ojimu i su jų žodynų kul ū-
a, y imo ezul a ai. Tikslas – pa eik i i ap a i a sakymus į ieną iš apklausos
a i ų klausimų: „Kokiomis sa ybėmis, jūsų nuomone, u ė ų pasižymė i idealus
e minologinis žodynas?“ Paminėjus kai ku iuos apklausos eiginius, eikė ų pa-
b ėž i, kad žodynų a o ojai La ijoje pageidauja, kad žodynai u ė ų į adą, ku-
iame bū ų paaiškin a iskas, ko a o ojas ieško. Su okian , kad idealaus žodyno
suku i be eik neįmanoma, s aipsnyje a siž elgiama į kele ą a o ojui s a bių
aspek ų.
ESMINIAI ŽODŽIAI: e minų žodynai, a o ojų po eikiai, žodynų a o ojai, leksikog a ija,
la ių e minog a ija.
INTRODUCTION
In La ia, e minological dic iona ies a e issued e y o en. A he end
o he wen ie h and he beginning o he wen y- i s cen u y, wi hin
wen y yea s, o e 660 dic iona ies (Šmi e 2012) we e added o La ian
lexicog aphy, o which se e al hund ed we e e minological dic iona ies.
In pa icula , since 1991, i.e., a e he es o a ion o independence o La -
ia, he e has been a signi ican inc ease in he numbe o e minological
esou ces. The p esen esea ch examines 405 La ian e minological dic-
iona ies ha ha e been published in he las 30 yea s. They a y widely,
bo h in e ms o he au ho s and publishe s, in e ms o language selec-
ion, and in e ms o he a ge audience. In addi ion, in he ma ke he e
a e dic iona ies app o ed by he Te minology Commission o he La ian
Academy o Sciences and dic iona ies ha a e no app o ed by any o icial
ins i u ion. The dic iona y is an au ho i a i e and accu a e sou ce o in o -
ma ion. Dic iona y use s gene ally conside i pa icula ly signi ican and
eliable du ing any esea ch p ocess.
As he linguis Ju is Baldunčiks has acknowledged, in La ia “dic-
iona y e iews a e a e y a e phenomenon, bu wi hou c i icism he
Elīna Peina68 Expec a ions o he La ian Dic iona y Use s
on he Ideal Te minological Dic iona y
Ani a Hel iga
imp o emen o he quali y o dic iona ies is un hinkable” (Baldunčiks
2012a: 10). In La ian e minog aphy, he e is a lack o s udies on he hab-
i s and needs o e minological dic iona y use s. Publica ions o e iews o
analyses o he quali a i e pe o mance o such dic iona ies a e also a e.
O cou se, he e a e a ious c i e ia de eloped by heo is s ha analyse and
assess he quali y o he e minological (and o he ype) dic iona ies. Fo
example, he con en , in o ma ion a chi ec u e, na iga ion, access, help,
cus omisa ion, and inno a i e echnologies used o manage in o ma ion
in e-dic iona ies a e iden i ied as he main ca ego ies o e alua ion c i e ia
o e-dic iona ies (Ball, Bo hma 2018). Se gey G ine -G ine ich (Сергей
Гринев-Гриневич) poin s ou speci ic pa ame e s o he mac os uc u e o
a e minological dic iona y (au ho ’s equi emen s, hema ic o ien a ion,
pu pose, a ge audience, unc ions, size, e m selec ion p inciples) and
mic os uc u e ( e m egis a ion de ails, o mal, his o ical, and emo e
in o ma ion, in e p e i e, associa i e, p agma ic, and illus a i e in o ma-
ion) (Гринев-Гриневич 2007: 23–24). Pie Swanepoel de eloped a ame-
wo k o he desc ip ion and e alua ion o dic iona y e alua ion c i e ia
using pa ame e s om esea ch on dic iona y c i icism and he usabili y o
websi es (Swanepoel 2008). Howe e , as he esul o his s udy also shows,
he habi s o dic iona y use s a e almos ne e associa ed wi h any s ic
scien i ic pa ame e s ( hey a e mo e use ul o esea che s and specialis s).
As pa o he s udy so a , e minological dic iona ies ha e been exam-
ined in se e al aspec s: he expe ience o leading publishe s and hei iew
on publishing e minological dic iona ies has been ga he ed; Mā is Bal iņš,
he chai o he Te minology Commission o he La ian Academy o Sci-
ences, was in e iewed; a hema ic cha ac e isa ion o e minological dic io-
na ies was ca ied ou in e ms o he ields and economic sec o s ep esen -
ed; a su ey o he e minological dic iona y use s was conduc ed, which
p esen s he main habi s o he use o hese dic iona ies. So a , in La ian
e minog aphy esea ch, a su ey o dic iona y use s was conduc ed wi hin
he amewo k o he s udy o he T ansla ion and Te minology Cen e (see
TTC 2005); ano he su ey o dic iona y use s was conduc ed wi hin he
amewo k o he esea ch on dic iona y-making in La ia (see Baldunčiks
2012b). Simila ly, a s uden su ey was conduc ed and he expec a ions and
needs o dic iona y use s we e conside ed when ca ying ou a p ojec o wo
highe educa ion ins i u ions de eloping a mobile applica ion o he dic io-
na y o medical e minology (see S iķe, Go buno s, Veckalne, e c. 2020).
69Te minologija | 2022 | 29
The habi s o dic iona y use s de e mine he language needs o a pa -
icula use o a pa icula use g oup (e.g., s uden s, ansla o s, e c.), and
since oday’s lexicog aphy is based on he needs o he language use , i
is e y impo an o implemen his aspec o “use - iendly” in p ac ice
when compiling a dic iona y. The lexicog aphe Hen i Béjoin conside s
he s udy o “needs and skills o he use s” an a emp which will enhance
use - iendliness in he p ocess o compiling a dic iona y (Béjoin 2000:
167). In ecen yea s, he unc ional app oach has domina ed in he ield o
dic iona y design and compila ion. “In as much as he design ea u es o a
dic iona y success ully suppo he a ge use s and hei linguis ic needs
in such use con ex s, hey a e e alua ed posi i ely; in as much as hey do
no , hey a e e alua ed nega i ely. Deg ees o unc ionali y/usabili y on
he posi i e-nega i e scale a e hus de ined in e ms o he pe o mance
le els achie ed by use s o ce ain asks in which a dic iona y wi h spe-
ci ic design ea u es is used. As such, i acco ds wi h he use app oach o
he e alua ion o a dic iona y.” (Swanepoel 2008: 222)
A e yea s o esea ch, i has been es ablished ha a dic iona y (no
jus a dic iona y o e ms) is conside ed good when:
1) i p o ides he main unc ions o dic iona ies (communica i e and
no ma i e),
2) i allows he use o e i y o ex end hei knowledge o he
language,
3) i is good o he educa ional p ocess,
4) i is eadily accessible and use - iendly,
5) i is clea ly s uc u ed,
6) is compiled by specialis s in he ield,
7) he selec ion o headwo ds is clea ly unde s ood,
8) i con ains neologisms,
9) i con ains easily eadable and pe cep ible en ies,
10) i con ains app op ia e illus a i e ma e ial.
THE SURVEY AND ITS METHODS
The heo y may e lec one poin o iew, bu he habi s and needs o he
a ge audience o dic iona y use s a e unques ionably impo an ; wi h his
on iew, an online su ey on he use o e minological dic iona ies was
conduc ed as pa o a wide esea ch on he La ian e minog aphy. The
esea ch desc ibes he heo y and p ac ice o e minog aphy, p o ides a
Elīna Peina70 Expec a ions o he La ian Dic iona y Use s
on he Ideal Te minological Dic iona y
Ani a Hel iga
desc ip ion o mode n La ian e minological dic iona ies in a a ie y o
aspec s: hema ic, a ge audience, olume, e c. As well guidelines o he
de elopmen o e minological dic iona ies a e being de eloped by li e -
a u e e iew and by compiling he opinions o indus y e minology spe-
cialis s, publishe s, and good p ac ice examples among dic iona y use s.
In 2021, an online su ey o dic iona y use s was conduc ed wi h an
aim o lea n he habi s o using e minological dic iona ies. Bachelo -,
mas e -, and doc o al-le el s uden s we e selec ed as he main esponden s
o he su ey. In o al, he su ey co e ed 14 ques ions which e ealed
he ype o e minological dic iona ies – online o p in ed – he s uden s
p e e ; he si ua ions in which he e minological dic iona ies a e mainly
used; i e ealed he impo ance o o icially app o ed dic iona ies, he im-
po ance o p o iding equi alen s o e ms in o he languages, he impo -
ance o he dic iona y being no mo e han i e yea s old, e c. This a icle
analyses he answe s o one o he su ey’s open ques ions: “Which should
be cha ac e is ics/ ea u es o an ideal e minological dic iona y? Please
men ion wo o h ee!” The su ey was comple ed by 161 esponden s. O
hose, 106 we e bachelo , i een mas e , and 40 doc o al s uden s. O he
161 esponden s, 114 we e women and 47 we e men. Rega ding he age
g oups, 85 esponden s we e be ween 18 and 24 yea s o age, 47 be ween
25 and 34 yea s, 20 esponden s be ween 35 and 49, and nine esponden s
we e o e 50 yea s o age. The gende and age indica o s su eyed played
a seconda y ole in he analysis o he esul s. Mainly, he answe s we e
classi ied by he le el o ield o he s uden s’ s udies. The compa ison o
he da a ob ained in he su ey was based on he iews o he indus y’s
leading specialis and e minologis s.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Ou o he o al o 161, 156 esponden s answe ed he ques ion abou he
ideal e minological dic iona y and i s ea u es. The answe s a y om
one wo d o e en a deepe analysis.
In e es ingly, 46 ou o 156 answe s ha e he wo d easy in hem, bu
43 imes he wo ds enewed, upda ed o cu en a e men ioned, o example,
–easy o unde s and he meaning; easy o na iga e;
– he e ms co espond o he cu en si ua ion in he ield;
– enewed as equen ly as possible;
–pe iodically upda ed.

71Te minologija | 2022 | 29
In s uden s’ esponses, he wo ds easy and simple apply bo h o he dic-
iona y i sel , i s layou and anspa ency, and o he eadabili y o he ex .
As well hese esponses e eal ha s uden s a e looking o a con enien ,
easy- o-use, and egula ly upda ed e minological da abase.
Wo ds eliable, p o essionally app o ed, scien i ically app o ed and app o ed
e ms appea 34 imes, o example,
–comp ehensible explana ions app o ed by p o essionals;
–dic iona y should be eliable.
These answe s indica e ha a e minological dic iona y o da abase
mus ha e his s amp o quali y o e minologis s and specialis s in he
ield. In he in e iew (pe sonal in e iew, 16June 2020), Bal iņš empha-
sises ha p o essionalism and esponsibili y o he dic iona y compile s
a e mo e impo an han he o mal aspec o app o al because no all he
e ms in app o ed dic iona ies a e discussed in he commission, and he
ac o app o al alone does no gua an ee he quali y o he dic iona y.
Howe e , as he su ey esul s show, he quali y s amp o e minology
specialis s is e y impo an o dic iona y use s.
Fo y- i e esponses e eal ha dic iona ies should con ain e m equi -
alen s in o he o eign languages, o example,
– e ms a ailable in a leas i e Eu opean languages;
– e ms a e a ailable in se e al languages.
F om he poin o iew o dic iona y use s, monolingual in e p e a i e
e m dic iona ies a e no ha p ac ical. They may be mo e use ul o sec-
onda y o high school le el.
The answe s e eal an opposi e poin o iew as well. Pa o he e-
sponden s men ioned hey wan ed a b ie e m explana ion, o example,
–as many en ies as possible, sho explana ions;
–b ie , concen a ed de ini ions,
bu in mul iple answe s he exac opposi e is included, o example,
–en y should con ain e m e ymology, pe haps ex ended explana ion, o
example, a his o ical con ex ;
–b oad bu clea explana ions;
– he o igin, his o y o a gi en e m, because i o en e eals he wide
meaning o he e m and makes i mo e unde s andable.
These esponses a e closely ela ed o he ield o he esponden s’ ed-
uca ion. Acco ding o esponden s’ eplies, i is in he in e es o s uden s
in he humani ies and he na u al sciences ha he en y consis s o mo e
Elīna Peina72 Expec a ions o he La ian Dic iona y Use s
on he Ideal Te minological Dic iona y
Ani a Hel iga
in o ma ion. I is also ela ed o he le el o hei s udies: o bachelo
s uden s, a b ie explana ion o he e m does no necessa ily e eal he
ull meaning o he concep and does no e eal he idea o i s meaning.
Fo mas e and doc o al s uden s, his scien i ic expe ience is g ea e and
unde s anding he meaning o e ms does no pose a p oblem.
Thi y- ou answe s e eal he inclusion o examples in he en y o
each e m as an impo an ea u e o an ideal dic iona y, o example,
– ypical usage examples o he e m a e included;
–no jus meaning, bu as well examples whe e he e m is used.
I is in e es ing ha i een esponden s also wan he synonyms o a
e m o be included, o example,
–p o ide examples and simila wo ds;
–accu acy, explana ions, synonyms;
–i would be aluable i synonyms we e displayed.
In La ian lexicog aphy, he e m is desc ibed as a good e m i i is
“clea ly di e en om o he e ms (p e e ably one wi h no synonyms
and homonyms)” (Nacionālā enciklopēdija 2021). Such esponses may
be ela ed o he ac ha s uden s a e o en eminded o a oid epe i ion
o wo ds in scien i ic language o ensu e good sounding ( o example,
Mic oso Wo d sma edi ing highligh s wo iden ical wo ds i hey a e
oo close o each o he in he ex and calls on he au ho o choose syno-
nyms), bu his does no apply o e ms. Thei consis en use ensu es ha
he ex is unmis akable and clea , which is one o he c i e ia o academic
w i ing.
In mul iple esponses, s uden s men ion ha an en y should include
in o ma ion abou he sou ce o he e m. A i s , his seems con using,
bu he answe s e eal wha is mean by i :
–I hink a pe ec e m da abase accu a ely indica es he sou ce o he
e m;
–I has a link o a sou ce ha uses he e m.
This ea u e is ela ed o he ac ha , mainly, he online e m da abas-
es a ailable in La ian a e a collec ion o se e al p in ed e minological
dic iona ies and e m se s, which a e no egula ly upda ed o a e upda ed
when publishing houses p oduce a new p in ed e minological dic iona y.
Fo s uden s, o cou se, i is con enien o e e ence making: a e e ence
o a p in ed dic iona y c ea es he c edibili y ha he e m comes om an
edi ed and eliable sou ce. These answe s e eal ha cu en ly he e a e
73Te minologija | 2022 | 29
no e minological da abases in he La ian language which a e egula ly
upda ed and main ained by e minologis s and specialis s in he ield.
Su eys answe s also e eal o he in e es ing ea u es, such as calling
o e ms no ye app o ed ha a e none heless widely used in he ield o
be included in e m da abases:
–A lo o e ms; hey show he igh e ms and eally he e ms used by
p o essionals in he indus y.
Such e ms could be labelled sepa a ely in he dic iona y as p o es-
sionalisms used in he ield, which would p e en hem om being used
in scien i ic language, bu hey would be a ailable and explained o young
p o essionals.
CONCLUSIONS
The indings o he su ey esponses sugges ha , mainly, s uden s see a
egula ly upda ed online e minological da abase wi h o icially app o ed
e ms as an ideal e minological dic iona y. The exis ence o one o icial
e minological da abase would sol e he issue o s uden s pe cei ing a io-
us digi al ools o ques ionable quali y as online dic iona ies.
In an answe o a su ey ques ion, one s uden w o e ha “pe ec hings
don’ exis in he wo ld.” This s uden is igh , bu he answe s e eal
ha in coope a ion wi h e minologis s, specialis s in he ield, publish-
e s, lexicog aphe s, dic iona y use s, and o he specialis s we can de elop
guidelines o compila ion o e minological dic iona ies, which could be
used o de elop a e minological sou ce whe e use s could ind wha hey
a e looking o as and easily. Te minological da abases a e no help ul
when hey a e compiled as a summa y o p in ed e minological dic io-
na ies and a e no egula ly upda ed, because hei use s do no bene i
much om hem. The Co id-19 pandemic alone has supplemen ed En-
glish wi h 1000 new e ms. The lexicog aphe s a e alking abou co oneol-
ogisms (Roig-Ma ín 2020; Li 2021), meanwhile in La ian e minog aphy,
he ques ion o he neologisms in e minological dic iona ies is s ill unde
deba e, which means ha he public has almos no access o hem. S u-
den s’ ecommenda ions should be included in he c i e ia o e alua ing
dic iona ies as hey a e an impo an g oup o dic iona y use s.
Taking a b oade look a his issue, i would be necessa y o compa e
he da a in bo h ch onological (di e en ime pe iods) and e i o ial (ex-
pe ience o di e en na ions, languages) aspec s. Some imes espec ing he
Elīna Peina74 Expec a ions o he La ian Dic iona y Use s
on he Ideal Te minological Dic iona y
Ani a Hel iga
needs o dic iona y use s can be conside ed populism, a way o pleasing
ma ke equi emen s, o a de oga ion om scien i ically-p o en and e -
i iable c i e ia, while he language (including e minology and e minog-
aphy) exis s and de elops mainly because o i s use s. The e o e, esea ch
on such da a is no only in e es ing bu also use ul.
Acknowledgemen s
This esea ch was de eloped wi h he inancial suppo o he Eu opean
Social Fund p ojec “Academic ca ee o Liepaja Uni e si y s a : quali y
and sus ainabili y in doc o al s udies” (No. 8.2.2.0/20/I/007).
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