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