The seven pillars of terminology

The se en pilla s o e minology HERIBERT PI(HT 1. IN'TRODUC'T]ON P oceeding om he assump ion ha one o he supe o dina e aims o e minologl is s s ema ic knowledge ; ns e , we shall ind he i s h ee pilla s ep esen ecl by he wo ds'sys ema ic', 'knowledge'and' ans e '. This can be illus a ed in he ollowing w-ay: Fig. 1 Sys e na ic Knowledge Objec and Loncep (cogni i e unc ion) T ans e Rep esen a ional o ms o objec s ancl concep s (communica ional unc ion) concep o de ing Al hough hese h ee pilla s a e o i al impo ance and a e conside ecl he bea ing elemen s o any e minological endea ou , be i heo e ical o applied, a ou h pilla , ' e minological wo king me hods' is s ill lacking and needs o be added. An impo an pa o he ans e o e minolog is: eco ding and p oli e a ion, nei he o which is co e ed by Figu e 1; consequen ly, we need o p o ide a i h pilla - e minog aphy. The six h pilla - indispensable o he p oli e a ion o knowledge abou e ninology - is dedica ed o educa ion and aining in e minology. Howe e , he'edi ice'o e minology would be incomple e i we we e o dis ega d he as sec o o de elop nen and applica ions o e minology in he b oad con ex o p o essional communica ion. This se en h pilla co np ises a se ies o appa en ly he e ogeneous ac i i ies and o he issues; He ibe Pich I The seuen piLla s o e minology ne e heless, all oge he hey play an impo an ole in, o e en ende possible, p o essional communica ion and knowledge ans e . In he ollo ing, we shall y o go no e deepl- in o he con en o he se en pilla s. 2. OBJECT AND CONCEPT Righ om he beginning o scien i ic esea ch in o e minology, objec s and especially concep s we e cen al o he e minological app oach u'hich is widely e lec ed in he e minological li e' a u e and no leas in he basic e minological s anda ds a na ional and in e na ional le el. W is e (1959/60 (2001:22) has de inecl he oblec in he ollowing ay: Alle's, wo au sich so das I)enken philosophischen Sp achgeb auch in 'licsem Sinnc. ISO 1087-1:2000 eacls: eines Menschen ich c ode ich en kann. heiJ m "(icgcns and'l Auch Sach .c hal e sin l Gegcns iincle Ob jec : any hing pe cei able o concci able. No e:Objec s mal.be ma c ial (e.g. an engine. a shcc o p. pe . a diamond). im nil e ial (c.g. con sion a io, a p ojec plan) o imagincd (e.g. a nico n). Mo e de ailed in o ma ion is a ,ailable in ISO 701:200 ): Fo he pu poses o his In e na ional S anda d. an objec is cle ined as any hing pe - cei e l o concci ed. So ne objec s. conc c c objec s such as a nachine. a diamo d. o a i e . shall be conside c-d ma e iali o he objcc s sha11 be considc cd in ma e ial o abs ac . such as each mani cs a ion o inancial planning, g a i y, lon'' abili , , o 2l con- c sio a io: s ill o hels shall be conside ecl pL ely in agi c'd, o exa . ple. a u ' ico n, a philosophc 's s one o a li e a , cha ac c. . In he cou se o p oduci g a e minolog- , philosophical cliscussions on he he an objec ac ually e is s in cali a e be oncl he scope o his In e na ional S an,.la cl anc'l shall bc a oicied. Objec s a c ass - ed c exis and a en ion shal1 be ocused on how o - e deal i l' objec s o he pu pose o communica ion. A no e ex ended iew o he objec is p esen ed among o he s by Budin (1994:203-208) and Pich (2003: 154-159: 2008:91-97) whe e i is a gued Tc minologija 2009 | 16 ha l- e objec should be conside ed a uni o knowledge. Especially in ce ain subjec ields such as his o y and a chaeology, objec s cons i u e a conside able numbe o uni s o kno , ledge and as such he a e o in e es o e minology. Conce ning he concep , acade nic discussion has been much no e in- ensi e. Th ee app oaches can be singled ou : The concep as a . ni o hough (an inapp op ia e ansla ion o he Ge man'Den- keinhei ', because he p ocess o hinking is no ende ed in he English ansla ion); . L ni o kno , ledge; . uni o cogni ion. The ollowing de ini ions o he concep as a uni o hough - among o he s - ha e been o e ed: W is e (1979 7): Thus he concep is an elemen in a hinking p ocess. l)e Beg i is so cin Denkelemen . ISO 1087:1990: A uni o hough cons i u ed h ough abs ac ion on hc basis o p ope ies common o a se o objec s. I has been a gued ha he concep as a uni in a hinking p ocess neces- sa il has o be indi idually coiou ed and he e o e canno eally be a - ni- e sal e lec ion o he accep ed opinion o a p o essional co nmuni y (see Dahlbe g 1985 and Pich 2004). The ollowing de ini ion o he concep as a ni o hinking is o e ed: A concep is cons i u ed by he indi idual ideas and knowlecige o he hinke ; he cons i u ing chu - ks o knou,ledge and ideas ha e no necessa ily been submi ed o in e subiec i e p oo and may bc' e oneous; i s li e cycle depends on he cogni i e changes aking place in he n ind o he hinkc . The concep as a uni o knowledge has been in oduced by Dahlbe g ( i 985: 140). She 'laims: 10 Hc ibe Pich The seuen pilla s oJ e minology The concep is a uni o kno ledge whicl' con p ises in a linguis ic o m he p o able, necessa y p edica ions abou a gi en objec . Beg i is eine Wissenseinhei , die iibe p ii ba en, no wendigen Aussagen iibe einen ausge . 'dhl en Gegens and in eine sp achlichen Fo m z sammen ass . The la es e sion o ISO 1087-1:2000 eads: Concep : uni o knonledge c ea ed by a unique combina ion o cha ac e is ics. Acco ding o ou iew, his ISO-de ini ion is a he knowledge-spa se and co e s only a pa o he in o ma ion pe inen o he conce'p o be de ined. The e o e. we o e he ollowins de ini ion: A concep is cons i u ecl by all cha ac e is ics (chunks o knowledge) in e -subjec i ely ecogniscd and ag eed upon by a p o essional communi y a a ce ain poin in ime; i I' as a li e cycle cie e nined by cogni ion dynan ic-s. In addi ion o he abo e de ini ions he concep can be iewed as a uni o cogni ion. While he concep as a uni o knowledge is mo e o less s able du ing i s li e cycle and he uni o hinking a ies acco ding o he hinke and his knowledge a a gi en poin in ime, he concep as a uni o cogni ion is ele an a he momen o concep ual changes as a esul o he de elopmen o ou knowiedge. The e o e we p opose he ollowing de ini ion: Concep as a uni o cogni ion: .u i o knowledge, l. li e c cle o ,hich has inished an.1 he e o e will be sublec o he modi ica ions o a ce ain numbe o cha ac e is ics in acco dance i h cogni ion dynamics; hc esui u.ill be a new and independen uni o knowledee. I is e iden ha only he concep as a uni o knowledge can be he obiec o s o age in a e minological da a bank. 3. WAYS OF REPRESENTING OBIECTS AND CONCEPTS Apa om ma e ial objec s which can ep esen hemsel es by hei ma e ial appea a lce, all o he ypes o objec s and all concep s need a sign as communica i e means o communica ion. The ISO s anda d 1087- 1:2000 de ines'designa ion' as ollows: Te minologija 12009 | 16 il Rep esen a ion o a concep by a sign which deno es i . No e: In e minology wo k h ee ypes o clesigna ions a e dis inguished: symbols, ap- pella ions (names) and e ns. This de ini ion is no w ong, bu oo es ic i e and con ains in addi ion a con adic ion. Fi s ly, no only concep s a e ep esen ed by a sign. Secondly, he lis o designa ions in he no e is by no means comple e and in addi ion, con ains'appella ions (names)' which no mally deno e objec s. Rep esen a ional o ms o objec s ancl concep s a e shown in Figu e 2. Fig.2 Se nio ic ep esen a ion Ve bal ep esen o ion Non -u e bal ep es en a ion ,' ' " . ./ Obiec name desc ip ion Concen e m symboi o mula pa ap h ase e n- inological ph ase deiini ion explana ion Obiec g aphical ep. - pho o ^^*+*^iG - PV 411 - d awing symbol no a ion Concep g aphical ep. o di e en kind symbol o mula no a ion In addi ion, non- e bal ep esen a ions include signs pe cei ed by sound, smell ancl as e, e.g. a a ning signal when closing he doo s o a ain. a subs ance added o gas in o de o make i pe cei able and me hyla ed spi i s, e'spec i ely. Fo u he de ails see Lau 6n, Myking, Pich (2008: 10e0. I is ob ious ha e e m by a is he mos equen e bal concep ep esen a ion. Howe e . he e a e cases! e.g. in a chi ec u e, ana omy and se e al echnical disciplines, whe e a d awing is he p edominan way o I2 l{e ibe Pich I The seuen pilla s < .i e minologl' ep esen a ion. A d awing may e en be co npulso , o ins ance , 'hen applying o a building pe mi . De ini ions and explana ions a e indispensible when he con en ( he in ension) o a concep has o be com nunica ed, cla i ied o e en i ed. e.g. in a s anda d o s ic ly con olled language as o ins ance he com- munica ion in ai a ic. Desc ip ions should be used only o obiec s. Since pe so ls and e en s a e objec s, oo, i seems odd o de ine a pe son such as Eins ein o an e en such as he sinking o he Ti anic. The can be desc ibed and hese desc ip ions will e y o en con ain indica ions o ime ancl space, ., 'hich a e absen om a de ini ion. Equall, impo an a e e' mi ological ph ases (de'Fachwendung'), e.g. ' o d aw a bill'. These cons uc ions a e concep ep esen a ions. oo, because he concep may be ep esen ed in his way in one lang age and by a no mal e m in ano he ; in addi ion, i can be de ined. I is cha ac e is ic ha he e b canno be eplaced wi hou changing he concep deno ed. In addi- ion. when ansla ing hese ph ases, i canno be done wo d-by-wo d, e.g. English:' o die in es a e' -> Ge man:'ohne Hin e lassung eines Tes amen s s e ben'. These cons uc ions may be cha ac e ised as e ms s - i gene is and ea ed as sl ch in a e m bank. Symbols and o mulae can appea in e bal and non- e bal ep esen a- ions depending on whe he hey a e used in an o al o w i en ex , e.g. he sign'o i'has o be p onounced in a speech o in e p e a ion and a o mula such as NaCl can ha e bo h ep esen a ions in an o al e . No a io s can be nsed o bo h obiec s, e.g. in he ca alogue o a museum, and o concep s in a classi ica ion, e.g. he UDC. 4. SYSTE] 1AT]SATION AND KNOWLEDGE ORI)ERING The i s wo pilla s p o ided cogni i e and communica ional ma e ial a concep and objec le el. I may be compa ed wi h a omised knowledge wi hou mani es ela ions be ween he en i ies. In o cle o each a highe le el o concep uali cohe en knowledge, a sys ema isa ion o o de ing is pa amoun . Ve y ea iy in he his o ical de elopmen o e minolog as a ield o knowledge, he necessi y o o de ing concep s was ecognised. Schlomann had al ead elabo a ed sys e na icall, o de. ed dic iona ies in echnical sub- jec ieicls a he beginning o he las cen u y. lV is e , in se e al wo ks, 13Te ninologiia 2{)09 | l6 es ablished a cohe en heo e ical amewo k o concep ual o de ing. Con- cep sys ema isa ion is oday an indispensable pa o e minological science ancl e minology wo k. The basis o any concep ual o de ing is he ela ions which may exis be ween concep s. Rela ions n- ay be logical o ou ological. The i s is based on he simila i y o concep s; all subo dina e concep s o a supe o dina e concep con ain,/inhe i he en i e in ension o he supe' o dina e concep : he speci ica ion is added by a leas one mo e cha ac e is ic. The subdi ision a a ce ain le ei is de e mined b he chosen c i e ia o subdi ision. A sys em o concep s es ablished on he basis o logical ela ions only is uslally'closed-ended', meaning ha a subdi ision ends when no no e subo dina e concep s a e known a a ce ain poin in i ne. On ological ela ions a e o a e y di e en na u e. They e lec - in con as o he logical ela ions which a e based on abs ac ion - ela ions pe cei ed in he su ounding, he hough o imaginecl wo ld. The mos equen ela ions a e:pa i i e ela ion (wi h a s ong local bias), sequen ial ela ion (l i h s ong ime elemen s), ca sal ela ion, ansmission ela- ion, gene ic ela ion, in e dependence ela ion and o he s. Some ypes o ela ions a e dominan in some subiec ields and a ely ouncl in o he s. The na u e o he on ological ela ions becomes ob io s when compa ing di e en on ological ela ions, e.g. in a ansmission ela ion. elemen s o sequen ial ela ion can be ouncl ( he legal s eps o he pu chase o an es a e); he gene ic ela ion o en con ains causal elemen s (conside he sequence 'egg - chicken - hen'), e c. I is cha ac e is ic o on ological e- la ions ha hey do no ollow he c i e ia o subdi isions in he logical sense. They ha e o be es ablished p agn- a ically in acco dance wi h he aim o s c u ing, e.g. a conc:ep sys em o de ed acco ding o he pa i i e ela ion is heo e ically open-ended, because ( heo e icaliy) a subdi ision o ma e ial obiec s only s ops wi h he pa s o an a om. In o de o make a s uc u e mo e le ible, i.e. combine a ious ele au aspec s in one concep ual sys em, he sys em may con ain a combina ion o ela ions, a so-called mixed sys em. In his case, he change om one ela ion o ano he has o be ma ked, e.g. by he no a ion. (Example:I.2-3 -+ 2 e e s o a subo diua e concep o 1 and 3 is a pa o 2). ISO i0B7-1:2000 de ines concep sys em: Se oi concep s s uc u ed acco ding o he ela ions an-Iong hem I1 He ibe Pich I The seuen pilla s o e minolog ISO 704:2000 Te minology uo k - P inciples and me hods as well as A n z/ Pich /Maye (2009) p o ide mo e and mo e de ailed in o ma ion abou concep sys ems. A less well-de ined way o o de ing is by on ology. Va ious de ini ions ha e p e iously been o e. ed. Some au ho s conside on ology equal o a concep sys em, while o he s include many o he aspec s o knowledge o de ing. Since his ield s iii needs mo e esea ch and cla i ica ion o e minological applica ion, e shall only o e wo de ini ions p esen ed a he Wo leshop on Te minology, go p Modelling and On ology in Vaasa, 2006 (EAFT-No dTe m): On ology: he philosophical discipline . S udy o wha he e (possibly) is . S udy o he na u e and s uc u e o eali y . Domain o e - i ies . Ca ego ie-s and ela ions . Cha ac e izing p ope ies On ology: a heo e icai o compu a ional a e ac . "an explici and o mal speci ica ion o a concep ualiza ion" (G ube ) . A speci ic a e ac exp essing l- e in ended meaning o a ocabula in e ms o he na u e and s uc u e o he en i ies i e e s o. 5. TERMINOLOGICAL WORK ISO 1087-1:2000 de ines e minolosical wo k as ollows: A o k conce ned wi h he sys em ic collec ion, desc ip ion, p ocessing and p esen a ion o{ concep s and hei dcsigna ions. This de ini ion gi es a i s idea o he di e en asks; howe e , i canno se e as a guideline' o he wo king p ocess p ope . Be o e gi ing an ou line o he gene al phases o he wo king p ocess, we ha e o cla i y he concep s semasiological and onomasiological app oach. In he i s case he e m is he cen e o conside a ion, whe eas he onomasiological app oach ocuses on he concep . I has been said ha e minology uses an onomasiological wo king me i od. Tha is no qui e in acco dance wi h eali y, since bo h me hods a e employed, depending on he n'o king phase. l5Te minologiia i 2009 | 16 A ough ske ch o he di e en phases could be: . Elec ion o he subjec ield o pa o i . Collec ion and e aiua ion o he documen a ion ma e ial . Ex ac ion o e m candida es om ex s and o he pe inen in o - ma ion (semasiological s ep, because he ep esen a ional o m o a concep is he only indica ion o he exis ence o a concep in a con e ) . P elimina y sys ema isa ion as a hypo he ical sys em o concep s . Te minological analysis o he concep s, including he e. i ica ion o he p elimina y s s em o concep s, i s comple eness and he co ec place o he concep wi hin he sys em (onomasiological s ep) . Anal sis and elabo a ion o he ep esen a ional o ms (semasiologi- cal s ep): cla i ica ion o synonymy g amma ical in o ma ion o each e m egis e o he e m egional use o he e m o he pe inen in o n a ion, e.g. selec ion o ill " s a ion . Fo mula ion o de ini ions in con o mi y wi h he concep sys em. The sys em o de ini ions has o e lec he concep sys em (onon a- siological s ep) . Reco ding o he e ninological da a. This s ep o ms he poin o in e sec ion wi h e minog aphy. The abo e o king p ocess e lec s desc ip i e e minology wo k. Any p esc ip i e in e en ion, e.g. s anda disa ion o a e minology, mus be based on desc ip i e e minology o k, 'whe e he concep ual and ep esen- a ional eali y is s a ed. The da a ob ained cons i u e he poin o depa u e o any ha nonising o s anda dising ac i i y. The ange and deg ee o in e en ion (he e only shown as an example o g adua ion) can be illus a ed by he model in Fig , e 3. In addi ion, some sociolinguis ic ac o s a e indica ed in he cen e o he model. 1 6 He ibe Pich The seuen pilla s ol e minology