International Scientific Conference

Terminology and Specialized Vocabulary: Usage and System

AUŠRA RIMKUTĖ

Institute of the Lithuanian Language

On 19–20 February 2009, the international scientific conference Terminologija un speciālā leksika lietojumā un sistēmā (Terminology and Specialized Vocabulary: Usage and System) was held in Riga to commemorate the 136th anniversary of the birth of academician Jānis Endzelīns. The conference was organized by the Institute of the Latvian Language of the University of Latvia, an agency of the University of Latvia. Presentations were delivered in Latvian, Lithuanian, English, and Russian. The conference abstracts were published.

The conference was opened and a welcoming address was delivered by Prof. Juris Ekmanis, President of the Latvian Academy of Sciences. Ilga Jansone, Director of the Institute of the Latvian Language, briefly reviewed the work of Latvian linguistics in 2008. In his presentation, Juris Baldunčiks discussed issues in the theory and practice of Latvian terminology. An interesting presentation was given by Mario Baltini (Māris Baltiņš) of the Riga Terminology and Translation Centre, in which he confirmed or refuted myths about Latvian terminology in the 21st century, such as the claim that Latvian terms are lacking; he also discussed the importance of precisely naming concepts, the need for terminology databases, calques, and current translation problems. Raimondas Apinis (Raimonds Apinis) explained how terminology work is carried out in Latvia following its accession to the European Union. Valentina Skujinia (Valentīna Skujiņa), an academician at the Institute of the Latvian Language, discussed the continuity and change of principles of term formation. Linda Pietė (Linda Piete), an employee of the Institute of the Latvian Language, spoke about the establishment of the Latvian Terminology Commission in 1919 and its work. Anita Ščucka’s (Anita Ščucka) presentation focused on calques. Iveta Pūtėlė (Iveta Pūtele) examined the terms profesija, specialitāte and nodarbošanās used in Latvian. Anitra Roze (Anitra Roze) discussed the semantics and usage of the adjectives lillā and violets in Latvian. Regina Kvašytė, an associate professor at Šiauliai University, compared Latvian and Lithuanian stylistics terms and discussed their synonymy.

A couple of presentations focused on religious terminology. Kornelija Pokrotniecė

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(Kornelija Pokrotniece) (Latvian Academy of Sciences) spoke about the use of adjectives in religious terminology. In her presentation The Concept of the Term “Religion” in Catechisms of 1883–1916, Aušra Rimkutė, a doctoral student at the Institute of the Lithuanian Language, discussed the principal semantic groups of religious terms used in catechisms published between 1883 and 1916 and sought to define what constitutes a religious term. Brigita Aleksejeva examined philological concepts found in ancient Greek writings (those of Aristotle, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, and others).

Beata Biesjadovska-Magdjaža (Beata Biesiadowska-Magdziarz) gave a presentation on the Polish vocabulary used in works by the famous Latvian novelist Adolfo Erso. Danutė Bulzgienė, a lecturer at Šiauliai University, discussed words expressing extreme moments in Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.”

Computer terminology was not overlooked either. Maija Brėde (Maija Brēde) gave a presentation on the subject. Katrina Erštikė (Katrīna Erštike) and Ilzė Locika (Ilze Locika) examined issues in term harmonization. Irina Kalinina’s presentation discussed French economic and financial terms borrowed from English. Viesturs Šulcs (Viesturs Šulcs) and Inese Edelmanė (Inese Edelmanė) spoke about international botanical nomenclature.

Malgožata Ostruvka (Malgorzata Ostrowka) examined the vocabulary used in the Polish press published in Belarus between 1917 and 1937. Dorota Kristina Rembiševska (Dorota Krystyna Rembiszewska) discussed Polishisms used in the dialects of eastern Latvia. Presentations were also delivered at the conference by Aldis Lauzis, Rasma Miltinia (Rasma Miltina), Janis Sylis (Janis Sīlis), Imantas Šmidebergas (Imants Šmidebergs), Eduardas Cauna (Eduards Cauna), and Biruta Uzija.

During the two-day conference, attended by scholars from Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, participants discussed terminology in various fields and language in general, as well as language policy and translation problems. They shared their experience in terminography and computerized terminology management. The next conference dedicated to academician Jānis Endzelīns is scheduled to take place in 2010.

Received 2009-12-16

Aušra Rimkutė Institute of the Lithuanian Language P. Vileišio g. 5, LT-10308 Vilnius E-mail: [email protected]

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