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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.

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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
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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-
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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.