TERMINOLOGIJA IR LEIDINIAI

Nijolė BANELVIČIENĖ

DICTIONARY OF AUTOMOTIVE TERMS

Among the various field-specific terminology dictionaries published recently, it is impossible to overlook the “Five-Language Dictionary of Automotive Terms,” compiled by UAB “Keturi ratai” and published in a print run of 3,000 copies.¹ Even before examining the contents of this dictionary, its inaccurate title catches the eye. Automotive engineering is one of the many branches of technical science, so there is no doubt that the publication should be called a dictionary of automotive, rather than automotive engineering terms. After all, we have dictionaries of economics, pedagogy, and construction, not of economic, pedagogical, or construction-related terms. Although there is no need to question the publication’s usefulness, this simple example shows that consultation with terminology specialists is also valuable for compilers of terminology dictionaries.

In discussing the dictionary’s structure, it should be noted that it is systematic in the way terms are presented. As stated in the preface, “words and technical terms are grouped according to the structure of vehicles, which are divided into mechanical assemblies, systems, units, and parts” (p. 3). The dictionary has 8 sections and 203 subsections. Although the multiword terms in the subsections are not organized into nests, they (as well as single-word terms) should be listed alphabetically by the first word.

Although the number of terms is stated neither in the preface nor on the title page, it should contain about 4,000 automotive engineering terms. The preface states that “the vocabulary includes terms used to describe the construction of the entire vehicle, its assemblies, units, and parts, and standards are described at the end. In addition, the dictionary presents the principal terms related to the operation and control of vehicles and their general technical characteristics” (p.

¹ Penkiakalbis automobilių terminų žodynas. V.: “Keturi ratai”, 1995. 452 p.

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3). The publication includes alphabetical indexes for all languages. In the Lithuanian index, terms are presented in nests. The section following the preface explains how to find a term.

Before discussing the contents of the publication, it should also be said that one of the most conspicuous shortcomings of this dictionary is that the terms are not marked for stress.

This is not the first terminology dictionary for this branch of engineering. A few years earlier, the production association “Autoservisas” had published the “Russian–Lithuanian Automotive Service Terminology Dictionary”², containing about 3,000 terms. The latter was reviewed and assessed by the terminology specialist J. Klimavičius. Unfortunately, when reading the dictionary under review, it seems that its compilers disregarded terminographic practice: they did not make use of already standardized terms in this field and did not cite the other dictionaries they had used.

As for the terms included in the dictionary, it should be noted that more than a third of them are internationalisms. Lithuanian synonyms should also be given alongside many of them, for example: defect (= d., shortcoming), damper (= d., silencer), flange (= f., joining flange), bracket (= k., cantilever bracket), pedal (= p., foot lever), penetration (= p., ingress), satellite (= s., companion), universal joint (= š., hinge), fitting (= š., pipe connection), crossbeam (= t., transverse beam), jet (= ž., nozzle), and so on.

The dictionary contains foreign words that language-practice publications advise against. For example, it gives the loanword Frikcionas (= friction clutch, clutch) as an acceptable term; the calque nuorimo (= air-release) plug should also be corrected.

In many cases, attributive forms are missing, for example: reverse (= reverse) polarity, high (= high-voltage) wire, leaded (= leaded) gasoline, used (= spent) gases, specialized (= specialized) automobile, uniform (= uniform) speed, and so on.

There are cases where the dictionary gives correct forms of terms—

² Rusų-lietuvių kalbų autoserviso terminų žodynas. V.: Autoservisas, 1989. 113 p.

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…ms, while in the index the same terms are given in incorrect forms, e.g.: in the dictionary – ceramic fuse cylinder, natural wear, coupled auto-trailer, while in the index – ceramic fuse cylinder, natural wear, coupled trailer, etc.

The dictionary contains many incorrect and imprecise terms, e.g.: automobile – electrical plant (= automotive electrical system), automobile on order (= custom-built automobile), opening in the instrument panel (= instrument-panel opening), multi-section (= multi-sectional) fuel pump, warning (= warning signal) indicator, variable-displacement reversible (= reversible) pump, passenger car – off-road vehicle (= off-road vehicle), molding (= decorative strip), odometer (= distance counter), full (= full) load, reversible (= reversing) distributor, special-purpose (= special) oil, brake with ratchet-type (= ratchet) adjuster, etc.

The meanings of some terms are confused. For example, the Lithuanian synonym vacuum pump is given for the international term ekshauster, although it has an entirely different meaning. The Lithuanian equivalent of ekshauster is suction fan (see the aforementioned “Autoser-viso” terminology dictionary).

The dictionary contains many compound terms—two-, three-, and four-word terms, and even terms of five or six words—whose English, German, or French equivalents are considerably shorter, e.g.: upper support plate of the filter element – English thrust plate (upper), German Filtereinsatz – Druckplatte, obere, French rondelle de butée (supérieure); sealed, closed liquid-cooling system – English sealed cooling system, German Überdruck - Kühlflüssig - keitsumlauf, Überdruck - Kühlkreislauf, French système de refroidissement scellé; electromagnetic cold-start injector – English start valve, German Elektrostartventil; Startventil; Kaltstartventil, French injecteur de départ froid; injecteur de démarrage à froid; maximum-torque engine speed – English maximum torque speed, German Höchstmoment – Drehzahl, French vitesse de rotation au couple maximal; output of an AC generator – English alternator out-

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put, German Drehstromgenerator – leistung, French puissance d’alternateur, etc. This discrepancy in term length also raises doubts about the suitability of the corresponding Lithuanian terms.

The section headings and word combinations presented as terms in the indexes look rather strange and incomprehensible, e.g.: electrical equipment – data, maneuverability – parameters, engine – design, engine – parameters, engine – adjustment, engine – technical data. These section headings should instead read: electrical equipment data, maneuverability parameters, engine design, engine parameters, engine adjustment, engine technical data, chassis data, etc., and these headings should not appear in the indexes at all, since they are not terms. Incidentally, the dictionary also has section headings that are terms, e.g.: instrument panel, water heater, engine cylinder, interior lighting, etc., but for some reason they are not used in the text.

It should also be noted that three-word terms are used inconsistently, e.g.: external turning diameter, plough-type snowplow, rotary snowplow, articulated vehicle, but drawbar working (= working drawbar) length, drawbar overall (= overall drawbar) length, body front (= front body) section, body rear (= rear body) section, etc.

These are by no means all the shortcomings of this attractively published dictionary. Although it contains a considerable amount of automotive terminology, it still requires substantial improvement with regard to standardization.

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