Vida Stravinskienė. Ekologijos ir aplinkotyros žodynėlis: mokomoji knyga

ASTA MITKEVIČIENĖ Institute of the Lithuanian Language Vida Stravinskienė. ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE GLOSSARY: textbook Kaunas: Šviesa, 2004, 238 p. The alphabetical explanatory glossary of terms by V. Stravinskienė, a professor at Vytautas Magnus University, is intended, as stated in the preface, for future specialists in ecology, environmental science, forestry, agriculture, and environmental engineering, teachers in various fields of natural science, and other readers. According to the reviewer’s estimate, it contains more than 650 headwords. However, many more terms are defined or explained: terms denoting species or simply related terms are recorded in the glossary entries. For example, the entry for endosperm explains the terms primary endosperm and secondary endosperm (76), while the entry for allergen explains the period of allergenicity (12). The glossary was approved by the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language (assessment: the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language has no objections). The glossary’s headwords are marked for stress; only a few stress (proofreading) errors were found: flūoro (= flúoro) hydrogen, pelkėjimas (= pelkėjimas); the head components of the terms exothermic process, limnoglacial deposits have been left without stress marks. Equivalents in other languages are not provided—the glossary is monolingual—but Latin names are given alongside systematic names (cf. mammals (Mammalia), etc.). However, some inconsistencies in presentation are apparent; for instance, no Latin name is given for crustaceans. Unfortunately, there is no explanation of the glossary’s structure. The etymology of terms is indicated, though gaps in its presentation are evident. For example, the etymology of a foreign-origin dependent element is usually explained after that element (for instance, heterothermic animals), but sometimes only after the whole term (for instance, indicator plants). At times, no etymology is given at all (for instance, morphological adaptation). There are inaccuracies in the etymological explanations, e.g.: bionics [Greek bios—life (= bio... Terminologija | 2006 | 13 207 + (electro)ics)]; theory of evolution [Latin evolutio—development + Greek theoria—inquiry) (as if the term were a compound rather than a multiword term). The etymology given in the entry for the Lithuanian term anglis (C) is incorrect. Three adjectives are listed as headwords in the glossary: arid, boreal, Mediterranean. Their entries also include and explain multiword terms formed with them. A number of proper names have been included in the glossary, e.g.: EKOAGROS, “Natura 2000,” World Health Organization, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, etc. It would have been useful to state the criteria for selecting the material. Readers may, for example, wonder why the glossary includes an entry for aerobic conditions but no headword anaerobic conditions; why there are entries for secondary pollutant, chemical pollutants, physical pollutants but no entry for pollutants; and why the headword in situ conservation is included but ex situ conservation is not. In defining allergy, the term allergen is used (12), but it is not explained in the glossary. It is a pity that the glossary contains no cross-references; they would make it much more convenient to use. Individual terms are now set in italics within entries, but some can be found as separate headwords (e.g., igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks in the entry for rocks, 223), while others cannot (sedimentary rocks in that same entry). Most of the glossary’s headwords are good. Perhaps the worst is the term parent material, defined as “soil-forming rock, comprising the upper (= upper) surface layer of the Earth’s crust from which soil forms under the influence of soil-forming factors.” It is unacceptable (although it is also included in AATŽ), because it is unsupported by the semantics of the word gimtas (cf. gimtoji (= kilminė) uoliena TT, kilminė uoliena ChŽ; dirvodarinė uoliena SDTŽ, ŽŪE I). Also, instead of fjord, the established variant fiord should have been given (DŽ₅). The usual one-word term is now biorhythms (cf. DŽ₅, AATŽ, SpŽ, PsichŽ, etc.), whereas the glossary gives only the longer, two-word variant biological rhythms. The term marine predatory (= marine; cf. porpoise) mammals needs correction. The term water “bloom” could easily have been written without quotation marks, since žydėti means “to become green” (DŽ₅). Synonymous terms are clearly indicated in the glossary text and are not overused. However, the synonyms are not marked for stress, and there are no cross-reference entries. The synonyms lethal (fatal) dose, local (site-specific) pollution should have been placed in the opposite order—the terms with Lithuanian elements are much clearer. Terms of unequal rank are given as synonyms: pollutant emissions and emitted pollutants. The term stratospheric ozone layer (syn. ozonosphere) sounds more like an explanation than a term—a shorter synonym would be better. In separate entries 208 Asta Mitkevičienė the terms herbivorous animal and phytophages are explained (the synonym herbivores is added to the latter). In the entry for the term trophic level, we find herbivorous animals (phytophages) (138). The question arises whether herbivorous animal and phytophages are treated as synonyms in the glossary, and, if so, why they are not cross-referenced. Incidentally, since the synonyms phytophages (syn. herbivores) are given their own entry, it would be logical to find the term zoophages alongside carnivores. The presentation of the terms consumers (syn. users) and decomposers (syn. reducers)1 could have been made consistent: if the Lithuanian term is preferred, it should be used in both cases. Two specific synonym terms are included in the glossary—morphological adaptation (syn. morphological adjustment)—but only one general term, adaptation. The Lithuanian equivalent domestication should have been given as a synonym for domestication (cf. AATŽ domestication, taming). Indeed, the glossary also includes domesticated species as a synonym of domesticated species. The term ecosystem succession could have been replaced with a more Lithuanian-sounding term (or at least given a synonym): ecosystem change (cf. change, succession in AATŽ). Also missing is detritus alongside the term humus, and local extinction alongside the term necrosis. Should the Lithuanian synonym aquatic organisms? have been included for hydrobionts? Interestingly, some terms, as already noted, differ from those in the related-field dictionary AATŽ, published in 2000. In some cases, a better choice was made, for example, population ecology (defined in AATŽ as population ecology, while the entry for ecology gives population ecology); solar radiation (AATŽ solar radiation); aurora borealis (AATŽ polar aurora, aurora borealis). The glossary gives the synonyms biodegradable (–degradable) waste, biodegradable waste, whereas AATŽ gives only biodegradable waste. The term entries are indeed informative and fairly comprehensive. Sometimes they indicate the history of a concept’s study, the discoverer of a phenomenon, or the originator of a concept. The entry for sustainable development even contains “protocol-like” information: “Previously (before the decision of the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language of 2003 01 31), the terms balanced development, continuous development, environmentally sustainable development, sustainable evolution were used” (56). The glossary includes comments on the use of terms. However, information of this kind is not always accurate. For example, vegetation is described as “a term not to be used when referring to plant communities; it should be replaced with the term plant life” (32), but the sense in which it is used is not specified (for example, in the entry for microecosystem (134)). The headword effect has, instead of a definition, 1 The third member of the term group, producers (or producers), is not given a separate entry. Terminologija | 2006 | 13 209 a note stating that in ecology and environmental science this is a term that should not be used, and should be replaced by the terms impact, result of an activity, consequence or phenomenon (70). Thus, the glossary gives greenhouse phenomenon, not greenhouse effect. It is worth noting that some dictionaries from the late twentieth century (e.g., AstrŽ, GeogrŽ) also treated greenhouse phenomenon as the main term. Current dictionaries (cf. AATŽ, ChŽ, Eurovoc) give greenhouse effect: although the term greenhouse phenomenon is more Lithuanian in form, it may cause ambiguity. Most of the terms found in the entries themselves are correct. A few comments can be made about them or their use. For example, the Lithuanian and Latin names of a plant are given inaccurately in the glossary: common liverwort (= liverwort, 208; see BotVŽ) and Marchantia polymorpha (= polymorpha, 208). The glossary uses paatogrąžos as an alternative for subtropics (88, 122, etc.), whereas DŽ₅ gives subtropics. The entry biological rhythms uses tidal rhythms (44), although the headword in the same glossary is high and low tides (176). Instead of the term separator (130), recorded in the entry for mechanical wastewater treatment, the Lithuanian skirtuvas would be preferable; hypothalamus (entry thermoregulation, 216) should be pagumburis. The usual name is dwarf birch (the glossary gives keružis beržas 181, 222; cf. BotVŽ). Instead of benz(a)pyrene (21, 65, 155), the form benzpyrene would have sufficed (cf. ChŽ). The term systemic group is not distinguished from systematic group (cf. system and systematics). Instead of the three-word term semi-parasitic plants (in the entry for hemiparasitism, 96), pusparażičiai would be suitable (cf. BotŽ pusparażičiai, hemiparasites). A few more comments: economic (= of economics) sciences (23) (cf. natural sciences), northern (= north) latitudes (59, 110, 158; see DŽ₅), cardiovascular (= heart and blood vessel) diseases (55), Dobson (= Dobson’s) units (202), cuticula (= cuticle) (218, cf. cuticle 98; see TekstilŽ). The entry for poisons says that they are classified by strength as very strong, moderately strong, poisonous, and weak (149). So, poisonous poisons? The term sagainiėčiai (132) is inaccurate: although it was formerly recommended for use (for example, it is included in LTE IX), the term now used is cikiečiai (see VLE IV 125; cf. BotVŽ cikainiai (class), cikiniai (family); also cf. TŽŽe saganiai, nonstandard = cikainiai). The glossary does not always follow the usual order of modifiers in Lithuanian, cf. tundra herbaceous (= herbaceous tundra) plants (181), daily average (= average daily) concentration (196). Some term definitions are rather weak. For example, biogenic elements are “elements essential to living organisms (= chemical elemen- 210 Asta Mitkevičienė that” (41). The term chionosphere is explained as corresponding mountain parts (53), rather than a particular layer of the atmosphere. The definition of the first meaning of the term monoculture is inaccurate: “an area of cultivated land where one species absolutely predominates (e.g., a rye field)” (139) (cf. culture – “the growing, cultivation of plants; plants that are grown, cultivated” (see DŽ, TŽŽė). The term tissues is defined as “a system of cells and non-cellular structures” (the singular form should be used – tissue) (31). Logic is violated in explaining the specific term industrial wastewater: “Industrial wastewater flows from manufacturing enterprises, where it has been used for technological purposes” (150). This statement may be understood to mean that it is wastewater, not water, that is used. In the glossary, the term risk factors is explained by the term environmental factors, yet the factors mentioned include arterial blood pressure, excess cholesterol in the blood, and so on (187). The glossary gives two meanings for each of the terms homeostasis, necrophages, but does not distinguish between them. There is no definition of the term anthropogenic pollution sources—only its specific terms are listed and explained. The language of the definitions is not always correct or stylistically appropriate. Errors in the use of definite forms have been noted, for example, vidurinysis ardas (69). In general, definite forms are often overused in term entries, e.g.: praskrendantieji (– praskrendantys) paukščiai (164), putojantieji (– putojantys) gėrimai (190), and so on, although sometimes the ordinary form is used where the definite form is required. The definition of the term class is incorrect: “a level of classification that denotes (= encompasses) a set of objects sharing common features” (109). More errors in the use of participles were found, e.g.: draustinis – “an area preserving the environment (= an area in which the environment is protected) <...>” (68), and so on. A construction with the accusative is chosen imprecisely, e.g.: “waste suitable for recycling and producing products (=for producing products)” (20). It is incorrect that sutikti is used in the sense of “to be, to occur” (17, 175). Unclear and incomprehensible sentences occur, e.g.: In recent years, transport’s contribution to overall air pollution has increased (155); CO2’s contribution to the formation of the greenhouse effect reaches 55–60% <...> (209), and so on. Several punctuation (43, 62, 167, 208) and spelling (proofreading) errors were found in the glossary: geitonogamija (=geitonogamija, 13), Falconiformes (=Falconiformes, 170), alop atrija [gr. allos (=allos) – other, different <...>] (13). On some pages (66–67, 105), terms are out of alphabetical order. Such a glossary is needed, but it has far too many shortcomings. Terminologija | 2006 | 13 211 ABBREVIATIONS AATŽ 2000 – Dictionary of Environmental Protection Terms, Vilnius. AstrŽ 1984 – Encyclopedic Dictionary of Astronomy. Compiled by A. Juška, Vilnius. BotVŽ 1998 – Dictionary of Botanical Names. Compiled by R. Jankevičienė, Vilnius. BotŽ 1965 – Dictionary of Botanical Terms. Editor-in-chief J. Dagys, Vilnius. ChŽ 2003 – Explanatory Dictionary of Chemical Terms. Prepared by K. Daukšas, I. Barkauskas, V. Daukšas et al., Vilnius. DŽ 2003 – Dictionary of Contemporary Lithuanian. Editor-in-chief St. Keinys, Vilnius (electronic edition). Eurovoc – EUROVOC. European Terminology Dictionary: http://www3.lrs.lt/pls/ev/ev.main GeogrŽ 1994 – Vaitkeūnas St. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Geography, Kaunas. LTE IX 1984 – Lithuanian Soviet Encyclopedia 9. Vilnius. PsichŽ 1993 – Dictionary of Psychology. Edited by R. Augis et al., Vilnius. SDTŽ 1997 – Systematic Glossary of Soil Science Terms. Compiled by A. Motuzas, Vilnius. SpŽ 1996 – Dictionary of Sports Terms 1. Prepared by S. Stonkus, Kaunas. TekstilŽ 2001 – Explanatory Dictionary of Textile Terms. Compiled by R. Čiukas, J. Katunskis, A. Kaulakienė et al., Kaunas. TT 1992 – Terminology Corrections. Prepared by K. Gaivenis, A. Kaulakienė, St. Keinys, J. Klimavičius, Vilnius. TŽŽ 2002 – Interleksis. Dictionary of International Words. Managing editor A. Kinderys, Vilnius (electronic edition). VLE IV 2003 – Universal Lithuanian Encyclopedia 4, Vilnius. ŽŪE I 1998 – Agricultural Encyclopedia 1. Chair of the Scientific Editorial Board A. Kusta, Vilnius. Received 2006-12-05 Asta Mitkevičienė Institute of the Lithuanian Language P. Vileišio 5, LT–10308 Vilnius Email: [email protected] 212 Asta Mitkevičienė |