Terminology and social-economic globalization

Te minologija | 2007 | 14 49 Te minology and social-economic globaliza ion Ágo A FóRis Be zsenyiDánielCollege,Te mIK The pu pose o his s udy is o demons a e he e ec s o economic and social globaliza ion on linguis ic globaliza ion, and he ypes o implied p oblems and asks o e minology. wo ld languages and small languages di e ma kedly in he easons uni e sal and special causes o e minological di icul ies appea ela ed o languages and new domains. In my s udy, I examine hese e ec s and illus a e he phenomenon wi h examples. GLOBALIZATION The p ocess o globaliza ion has always been a pa o he p ocess o de elopmen , so globaliza ion i sel is no a new phenomenon (see Kozma 2002, Kozma–Fó is 2002a); i is only he scale and speed o change ha has inc eased ecen ly. In ac , due o he accele a ing a e o scien i ic and echnical de elopmen , wha is happening now is ha he consequences o globaliza ion also appea quickly and in la ge numbe s. These consequences a e: a huge inc ease in p oduc i i y, he ocusing o wo ld p oduc ion in he hands o a ew mul ina ional companies, he exhaus ion o global ene gy sou ces, he explosion o he wo ld’s popula ion, la ge-scale en i onmen al pollu ion, he as low o manu ac u ed goods in bulk, he gigan ic scale o he amoun and speed o he in o ma ion, he o ma ion o new ypes o ally ne wo ks e c. In his new phase o de elopmen , he wo ld’s in o ma ics and elema ics ne wo ks o e huge possibili ies o e e y a ea o science, indus y, economics and social ac i i ies. The g ea globalised ne wo ks ha con ol he wo ld’s economy, social ne wo ks, biological ne wo ks and in o ma ion ne wo ks a e all go e ned by simila laws (Ba abási 2002, cse - mely 2005). As he a e o de elopmen accele a es, a la ge numbe o p oduc s and me hods a e eme ging ha imp o e o subs an ially modi y ou quali y o 50 li e. The appea ance o elecommunica ion and elema ic ne wo ks, and he low, s o age and accessibili y o in o ma ion a an almos unlimi ed speed and in almos unlimi ed quan i y p o ides – among o he hings – he op- po uni y o li e long lea ning. Un o una ely, he subjec i e condi ions o he eal exploi a ion o such oppo uni ies a e no a ailable. Ins i u ions and expe s in he ields o educa ion, de elopmen and aining a e a e se o new oppo uni ies. The mass p oduc ion o ma e ials elabo a ed o hese pu poses, and he de elopmen o mode n me hods and ools o acili a e p ocessing a e lagging behind. Despi e his, some posi i e endencies can be obse ed. Dis ance lea ning and i ual uni e si ies, possibili ies al eady a ailable and being used on he In e ne , indica e ha he new way o lea ning independen ly o space and ime has al eady begun (Kozma–Fó is 2002b). By he las hi d o he 20 h cen u y, economic p essu e made i clea ha p oduc ion con ined by bo de s and dep i ed o na u al connec ions is no compe i i e. I was ob ious ha only by coope a ion be ween coun ies could he Eu opean economy and cul u e compe e wi h a No h Ame ica in eg a ed in o a cohe en poli ical and economical sys em, and wi h a Fa Eas ha is in eg a ed by capi al. Along wi h scien i ic and echnical globaliza ion, egional connec ions appea ed ac oss bo de s. In he begin- ning bila e al ela ions we e o med g adually de eloping in o mul i-la e al egional coope a ions (such as he Alps Ad ia ic wo king communi y, see ho á h 1998, Földes–Ino ai 2001, Fó is 2002). This s uc u e a ou s hinking in mul ina ional egions again. Regionalism, which emphasizes he equali y o membe s in e e y issue and mu ually bene icial coope a ion, is one o he pilla s o he economic and cul u al policies o he Eu opean Union. Language, beside i s oles in hough and he ans e o in o ma ion, has always been a signi ican bea e o na ional iden i y in Eu opean cul u es. Since he Age o Enligh enmen , due o he i al ole o language, he igh o use he mo he ongue became one o he main aims o mo emen s igh - ing o na ional independence; and he o he way ound: denying such a igh was a means o assimila ing mino i ies. Many conside he linguis ic impe ialism o he English language a na u- al o e en ine i able consequence o globaliza ion (Phillipson 1992). The newes esul s o de elopmen end o appea i s in economically mo e de eloped coun ies and sp ead om he e. New objec s and p ocesses Ágo a Fó is | Te minologyandsocial-economicglobaliza ion Te minologija | 2007 | 14 51 a e i s named in he language o hei in en o . In mos cases, e en he in en o s ind i di icul o in oduce new e ms. Fo ins ance, physicis s con inually disco e new elemen a y pa icles, and hey a e unning ou o possibili ies o di e en ia e hem wi h new names, so hey a e o ced o use he names o colou s o iden i y he addi ional pa icles (g een, yellow, ed). The link be ween concep s and linguis ic signs is disambigua ed wi h he help o lexicons and dic iona ies. The linguis ic aspec o acquisi ions by one language a ea om ano he , may happen in a ious ways. One possibili y is ha he linguis ic sign is assimila ed along wi h he concep : o example o eign wo ds and exp es- sions bo owed wi hou signi ican changes, loanwo ds, loan ansla ions, o he wo d- o ma ions; o new wo d c ea ion. con empo a y Eu opean cul u e e ol ed om he achie emen s o p e i- ous ci iliza ions, and makes use o many hings om hem. This in eg a ion happened a he le el o languages as well. wo ds om p e ious ci iliza- ions (G eek, La in) can be ound in e e y Eu opean language. Ob iously, his is also ue o wo ld languages such as English, Spanish o Ge man. Bo owing o eign wo ds is a na u al componen o cul u al-economic e- la ions and cul u al inhe i ance. Fo example, due o indus ial de elop- men , a la ge numbe o Ge man loanwo ds ha e been inco po a ed in o he hunga ian language, and a simila linguis ic e ec has been caused by he sp ead o spo s. Owing o he scien i ic/ echnical boom, new de elopmen s appea in numbe s a oo mani old o be inco po a ed spon aneously in o he lan- guage, and o his eason, na ional ha moniza ion has become necessa y. I is ob ious ha ins ead o igno ing his de elopmen , we ha e o ake an ac i e ole in he p ocess. wha his means is accep ing bo h he posi i e and nega i e e ec s o globaliza ion. Gi en he achie emen s o he beginning o he 21s cen u y, we can say ega ding he p ese a ion o wo ld cul u es and languages ha mode n echnology, he a ie y o a ailable means, pe sonal mobili y and success all p o ide b and new oppo uni ies o lea ning and educa ion. In he cou se o such de elopmen , we ha e e e y oppo uni y o main ain he cul u al and linguis ic di e si y ha has e ol ed o e housands o yea s. A endency owa ds uni o mi y is also a pa o echnical de elopmen , and e y o en i seems o be he easie way in shaping ou u u e, especially o economical easons. 52 TERMINOLOGy AND GLOBALIZATION Globaliza ion is becoming mo e and mo e p onounced, and some p oc- esses whose e ec had no been no iceable ea lie seem o be new phenom- ena jus because hey appea in a mo e obus o m. As a esul o globaliza ion new concep s, and consequen ly, new e ms come in o being in la ge numbe s and a a high speed. concep s o new ools, p ocesses, ela ionships e c., and he e ms ha e e o hem sp ead ac oss languages e y quickly. The e o e, only a sho pe iod o ime is a ou disposal o ma ch a e m wi h he concep and o i he new e m in o he exis ing e minological sys em. Small languages ha e wo choices: ei he hey adop he in e na ional wo d along wi h he concep o hey c ea e a new wo d. New p o essions, ades and disciplines come in o being and a la ge numbe o e minological p oblems c op up ha need o be sol ed wi hin a sho pe iod o ime. The concep s ha a e c ea ed nowadays a e so complex and so laden wi h scien i ic-p o essional con en ha adjus - ing hem o he e minological sys em equi es comp ehensi e scien i ic knowledge. Fu he mo e, e minology wo ks equi e o ganized con ol and suppo . The apid, massi e changes ha ake place oday also al e he quali y o phenomena, objec s and concep s. I we look a a ime span o 150-200 yea s, we see ha he signboa d hanging a he on o he wo kshop has been eplaced by mul imedia ad e ising echniques; and ho se-d awn e- hicles ha e been eplaced by mode n anspo a ion ne wo ks. compa ed o hei o e unne s, bo h imp o emen s o e comple ely di e en quali ies o ime, space, size and e iciency. Likewise, linguis ic phenomena appea in new ways and new a ie ies. The isola ion o languages o speci ic pu poses has dec eased signi i- can ly hanks o he imp o emen and sp ead o communica ion sys ems, and echnical concep ual sys ems a e no longe es ic ed o one p o es- sion, bu a e known among p o essionals o o he a eas as well. concep ual sys ems and e minological sys ems o a ious p o essions a e becoming mo e closely connec ed and mu ually a ec ing each o he . In my esea ch, I o iginally endea ou ed o show he new ea u es o changes in hunga ian e minology, bu I ha e come o ealize a signi ican po ion o hese changes a e uni e sal in na u e. Such changes in e minol- ogy a e as ollows ( o de ails see Fó is 2005): (1) A change o pa adigm caused by de elopmen . Du ing he pa adigm Ágo a Fó is | Te minologyandsocial-economicglobaliza ion Te minologija | 2007 | 14 53 shi , many p oblems a e caused by he ac ha he old and new pa adigms a e simul aneously p esen . (2) New concep s and e ms e e ing o hese pa adigms eme ge in un- o eseen amoun s and a a highe speed han e e be o e. These e ms a e inco po a ed in o echnical languages in a e y sho ime ( he p e iously decades-long p ocess has dec eased o a ew mon hs o e en weeks) and hey a e also in oduced in o gene al language e y quickly. (3) Due o he high a e o di usion and inco po a ion i is e y di icul o ec i y inco ec e ms a e hei c ea ion (o bo h echnical and gene al languages). (4) The ole o scien i ic enqui y is essen ial oday, so he applica ion o scien i ic me hods and academic s anda ds is o key impo ance when i comes o e minological de elopmen . (5) The necessi y o in e disciplina y coope a ion a academic s anda ds is mo e explici han e e in e minological wo ks. The o ma ion o con- cep ual and e minological sys ems is only possible wi h he simul aneous applica ion o mo e echnical and linguis ic knowledge. (6) The con ac be ween a ious languages has inc eased p odigiously hanks o globaliza ion, especially because o he de elopmen o com- munica ion sys ems, and he subsequen ly in ensi ied in e ac ion be ween languages. (7) Unambiguous use o he e minology o a language is made possible only by he p ecise de ini ion o he concep a e m e e s o, and such de i- ni ion should be made in acco dance wi h up- o-da e scien i ic knowledge. This will ensu e consis en use a he a ious linguis ic le els. (8) The enewal o e minology mus be ca ied ou h ough he co- ope a ion o e e y ield o knowledge in ol ed and based on scien i ic g ounds. (9) The so-called e e ence wo ks ( a ious ypes o dic iona ies, da abases, co puses) compiled wi h he help o mode n echnology play an impo an ole in linguis ic esea ch and in he applica ion o i s indings as well (see ha mann 2001). The p oduc ion o hese wo ks equi es ex ensi e in el- lec ual and inancial in es men . Mode n echnology ( he compu e , he in e ne , mul imedia) no only makes his wo k easie and quicke , bu also p o ides oppo uni ies o he c ea ion o new p inciples and new wo king me hods. 54 These componen s a e he essence o he pa adigm shi and he chie causes o he change in app oach. Al hough he abo e lis ed cha ac e is ics o e minological p ocesses ha e appea ed in languages spoken in economically de eloped a eas, hei con- sequences a e in many ways di e en in he case o small languages and wo ld languages. In wha ollows, I will highligh he ela ed p oblems and indica e he e ec such changes ha e on he de elopmen o e minology. As we ha e seen, he changes ha ha e aken place in p ocesses ela ed o e minology a e a consequence o de elopmen . Globaliza ion is one o he key ea u es o mode n ne wo ks o ela ionships, and i is p esen in linguis ic p ocesses, as in any o he segmen o social li e. By linguis icglobaliza ion we mean he p ocess in which mo e and mo e common linguis ic elemen s a e inco po a ed in o a ious languages due o he g owing equency o language in e e ence ha accompanies de el- opmen . The ad anced s a e o echnological de elopmen oday a ou s he o ma ion o ela ionships in e e y ield be ween speake s o di e en languages. This con inuous con ac expands he phenomenon o linguis ic in e e ence o he en i e de eloped wo ld, and ensu es i s pe manence. Linguis ic globaliza ion is mos palpable in he p ocess by which he na u al e m se s o languages a e becoming uni o m, bu i is also p esen a o he a eas o language use. (Think o he mo e and mo e uni ied s uc u e o cV’s and compe i ions.) In o de o use languages e ec i ely and unambiguously, we ha e o make su e ha he apidly g owing e minology, cha ac e is ic o globalized socie ies, eaches a s a e ha allows o membe s o a speech communi y o speak hei own language among each o he . The pu pose o a e minologi- cal/concep ual sys em is o ensu e he unambiguous exchange o in o - ma ion be ween speake s o one language as well as speake s o di e en languages. Unde he abo e men ioned ci cums ances, e e encewo ks, such as monolingual and mul ilingual co puses o echnical ex s, e minology da abases, and e minological dic iona ies a e necessa y o he e e yday use, esea ch and de elopmen o e minology. Only once hey a e a ou disposal can in o ma ics, elema ics and mul imedia sys ems be used o de elop na ional languages. In he case o wo ldlanguages, he compila ion o such e e ence wo ks is a p o i able business en u e, as hey a e used h oughou a la ge e i o y. Fo example, he ma ke o e e ence wo ks o he English language is Ágo a Fó is | Te minologyandsocial-economicglobaliza ion Te minologija | 2007 | 14 55 wo ld-wide. Due o he huge numbe o use s, he cos o p oduc ion will be egained mos ly by di ec sale and pa ly by he indi ec ou pu o appli- ca ion. A a eas whe e he p oduc ion cos s o such e e ence wo ks a e no ye wo h in es ing, o example in he case o newly eme ging domains, he compile s inance hei wo k om he p o i o o he wo ks, o om go - e nmen unding. Economically de eloped communi ies ha speak wo ld languages a e able o ad ance hese in as uc u al in es men s. howe e , smalllanguages (Pusz ay 2006) a e spoken by small communi- ies, and his esul s in many hind ances as ega ds he compila ion o e - e ence wo ks. Because he popula ion is small in numbe s, i is impossible o he people o wo k in e e y a ea o science, indus y, comme ce e c. a equally high s anda ds and le els o specializa ion, he e o e he e e ence wo ks o ce ain a eas a e no in demand. As he size o he s udied domains is a he small, he demand o using e minology e e ence wo ks is also low, and consequen ly inancing he compila ion o such e e ence wo ks canno be expec ed o be a p o i able business in es men . Fo ha eason, unding o he compila ion o e minology e e ence wo ks is gene ally ob- ained om go e nmen sou ces, which o e es ic ed possibili ies. Unde hese ci cums ances, he in as uc u al condi ions ha would se e he de- elopmen o small languages akes a lo mo e ime o e ol e. As a posi i e example, le me men ion he coope a ion o Belgium and he Ne he lands o he bene i o Du ch e minology: he wo coun ies ha e been unding he c ea ion o ee and openly accessible e minology da abases (bu hey do no gi e inancial suppo o he comme cially mo i a ed publishing o dic iona ies) (S eu s 2005). Fo he abo e-men ioned easons, Hunga y is lagging behind in he c ea- ion o synch onic e minology e e ence wo ks. The hunga ian Na ional co pus is an openly accessible co pus o p esen -day hunga ian, bu i does no con ain ex s o echnical languages. O he co puses, e minology da a- bases, o e e ence lexicons a e no publicly accessible. Se e al specialized dic iona ies ha e been compiled wi h comme cial aims, and a numbe o hunga ian ins i u ions ha e da abases o e minological pu poses and o in e nal use, bu none o hese a e accessible eely and openly. Te minologicalha moniza ion (see cab é 1996) has no ye aken place wi hin he hunga ian language a ea. A u he di icul y is caused by he ac ha he majo i y o new EU s anda ds (mo e han 70% o hem) a e no a ailable in hunga ian, only in English, and he e minology sec ion 56 o s anda ds is also a ailable only in English and a a high cos . Because o his esea ch, ansla ion, in e p e a ion, educa ion e c. a e all acing se i- ous di icul ies. Economical, scien i ic, cul u al e c. de elopmen is un hinkable wi hou p ope language use, mee ing he equi emen s o mode n imes, and e - minology is a undamen al con ibu o o his. Te minology has a key ole in he domes ic economy and in he ne wo k o ou in e na ional ela ion- ships. An example: a basic p oblem o o me socialis coun ies is ha hei economic e minology is no compa ible wi h he business and inancial e minology o he ma ke -o ien ed wes e n wo ld. The en i e concep ual sys em was adop ed om he wes , and as a consequence, a new e minol- ogy sys em had o be es ablished in he ecei ing languages. Simila o he change o he poli ical sys em, he change o he economical sys em made expe s say “we ha e no wo d o ha ” when hey encoun e ed e minol- ogy p oblems. compa ed o wo ld languages, small languages a e mo e hea ily a ec ed by o eign languages. The leading igu es o science, banking, inance, adminis a ion e c. a e p ac ically bilingual (English and mo he ongue) when i comes o p o essional communica ion. On he o he hand, he majo i y o people who use he se ices a e monolingual. Scien is s and he leade s o economical and social li e ha e a s ong in e es in making hei en i onmen unde s and hei achie emen s and aims and in ena- bling he public o use hem. communica ion p oblems in socie y may cause ension, such as in he case o he con adic o y a i udes owa ds he achie emen s o bio echnology o he sp ead o al e na i e sou ces o ene gy. The de elopmen o a na ional e minology sys em ha is b ough up- o-da e h ough in e na ional ha moniza ion could be a way o ease he ension. In academic and p o essional coope a ion wo endencies a e e ol ing simul aneously: one is p o essional di e en ia ion, which is ocusing on a na ow ield; he o he is he in eg a ion o e y di e en academic and p o essional s a a. The ad an age o he ne wo k o ela ionships e ol ing in he 21s cen u y is ha he collabo a o s can pu hei sha e o knowledge in o he ne wo k o p oblems o be sol ed wi hou delay and in a eady- o-use o m. Bu he ad an age o in eg a ing knowledge om a ious p o essional ields may only be exploi ed i p o essional communica ion o di e en dep hscan ake place among he p o essional ields in ol ed. Build- Ágo a Fó is | Te minologyandsocial-economicglobaliza ion Te minologija | 2007 | 14 57 ing up a e minology sys em ha is segmen edacco ding ouse demands is a p ima y condi ion o achie ing his. Abo e all, his means de ining e msa  a yingle els. A way o sa is y he e e inc easing demand o e minology da abases in acco dance wi h he pu poses o small na ions could be o c ea e na ional da abases ha se e he pa icula aims palpable om ac ual use ( ha is o he app op ia e size, a he app op ia e academic le el and con en ). Small na ions a e no in ol ed in e e y ade ( o example, he Bal ic s a es do no p oduce g apes and wine while landlocked coun ies a e un a- milia wi h sea ishing), o hey may only be in ol ed in sub- ields o ce ain ields ( o example, jus in he sale and ope a ion o elecommunica ions de ices bu no in hei de elopmen and p oduc ion); whe eas hey ha e a s ong in e es in o he domains (such as adminis a ion o he Eu opean Union o ou ism). The con en , size and academic le el o e minology e e ence wo ks should be adjus ed o he demands o na ionaluse. The common se o mu ual na ional in e es s should be de e mined in a ious languages. By p ac ical selec ion, he inancial and in ellec ual in es men could be sig- ni ican ly educed. howe e , i is a g ea unde aking o es ablish he e ms ha designa e basic concep s, and also he ones ha a e o public in e es and gene al use, and he e o e a e o be selec ed om he e m-s ock o ades. Da abases ha al eady exis in wo ld languages could se e as models o de eloping he da abases o smalle languages. O he exis ing na ional (no public, gene al language e c.) da abases could se e as he s a ing poin o de eloping he na ional e minology, as a e m ha has al eady been ma ched wi h a concep and de ined in acco dance wi h i could be eadily used. The asks o he de elopmen o he na ional e minology include: he selec ion o he necessa y e ms, ha monizing he concep ual and e - minological sys ems o he sou ce language and a ge languages, inding he igh e m (signi ie o he concep ), de eloping he e minology, and making he achie emen s accessible publicly and eely. This would ensu e no only he in oduc ion o new e ms bu also he ha moniza ion o e ms.