Terminology at the 2nd Congress of Lettonics

ANITA ŠČUCKA

LMA Terminologijos komisija, LU Latvių kalbos institutas

The 1st Congress of Lettonics was held in Riga on 24–25 October 2005, and two years later, that is, on 29–31 October 2007, the 2nd Congress of Lettonics was held, to which 428 papers were submitted.

At the plenary session of the 2nd Congress of Lettonics, Juris Ekmanis, President of the Latvian Academy of Sciences, emphasized that Lettonics occupies a firm place in 21st-century scholarship. A greeting from Valdas Adamkus, President of the Republic of Lithuania, and Valdis Zatlers, President of the Republic of Latvia, was read. The greeting emphasized that Latvians and Lithuanians are the only surviving Baltic peoples and are united by related languages and roots. The presidents expressed hope that the work carried out would contribute to research throughout Baltic studies.

The program of the 2nd Congress of Lettonics was divided into several sections (Sources of Lettonics: the Latvian coast, History and identity, Tradition and the present in Latvian music, etc.). Terminology issues were examined in the subsection National terminology and language interaction of the section Language and environment, dedicated to the 115th anniversary of the birth of terminologist and interlinguist Ernesto Drezen, a native of Liepāja.

Eleven papers on various topics were presented in the terminology subsection. Valentīna Skujiņa (LU Institute of the Latvian Language) introduced Ernesto Drezen’s life and work and emphasized his principal requirements for terminological work: clearly defined concepts and their designation by specific terms. The papers by Juris Baldunčiks (Ventspils University College), Vilma Kalme (Liepāja Pedagogical Academy), and Anita Ščucka (LU Institute of the Latvian Language) offered a synchronic and diachronic overview of linguistic terminology. Linda Pietė (LU Institute of the Latvian Language) spoke about the development of Latvian botanical terminology. Iveta Pūtėlė (LU Institute of the Latvian Language), Māris Baltiņš (Terminology and Translation Centre), and Juris Gunārs Pomme-ras (Terminology Commission of the Latvian Academy of Sciences) examined loanwords in Latvian terminology and the influence of other languages. Signė Rirdancė

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(the company Tilde) and Andrejus Vasiljevas (the company Tilde) spoke about terminology databases created by the company Tilde (www.termnet.lv, www.eurotermbank.com), and about the principles and challenges involved in their development. Angelė Kaulakienė (Institute of the Lithuanian Language) and Aušra Rimkutė (Institute of the Lithuanian Language) reviewed the development of Lithuanian computing terminology. Reginos Kvašytės’s paper examined the synonymy of terms in technical style.

Thus, papers in the terminology subsection of the 2nd Congress of Lettonics were presented by specialists from various research institutions and organizations. The exchange of views and cooperation are among the conditions for the successful development of terminology.

Received 2007-12-03

Anita Ščucka, LMA Terminologijos komisija, LU Institute of the Latvian Language. Email: [email protected]

208 Anita Ščucka | Terminologija letonikos II kongrese