Keletas taisytinų terminų

Gina KAVALIŪNAITĖ A FEW TERMS IN NEED OF CORRECTION 1. What does the word prezentacija mean? The use of international words and foreignisms often makes our language unclear and imprecise. The unnecessary use of prezentacijos is one such example. This word is not included in the list of foreignisms considered by the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language, published in issue 66 of “Language Culture.” If we have good equivalents of our own, there is no need to borrow an international word. The word of Latin origin prezentacija (Latin praesento, -are “1. to present; 2. to hand over, deliver”) occurs in many languages: English presentatio “1. presentation, introduction; 2. (of a gift) giving; 3. theatrical production”; German Präsentierung “1. offer; 2. submission”; French présentation “1. presentation, showing; 2. delivery, transfer; 3. design; 4. presentation (e.g., for an award).” For each meaning of this polysemous word, we have decent Lithuanian equivalents, so it is better not to use prezentacijos indiscriminately, but to say it in Lithuanian—more precisely and clearly: of an exhibition, salon, shop, or company—not prezentacija, but opening, presentation; here one could also say an exhibition-opening ceremony; of a concert—not prezentacija, but the first concert; a song—presentation; a book—presentation, introduction to the book. It is worth remembering that instead of prezentas we have the good Lithuanian word dovaną (“gift”). It sometimes happens that, apparently, when presentation is confused with representation (French représentation “representation”), one also says presentation visit (=representatives’ visit, representative visit), presentation team (=representative team). Where an idea can be expressed more precisely in Lithuanian, there is no need to resort to international words. 2. Can a medical center where the impaired functions of a patient’s body are not restored, but their condition is preserved and maintained unchanged, be called an abilitation center? 41 The word abilitation is related to the familiar term rehabilitation (Latin rehabilitatio, “recovery”). The latter’s formation is quite clear: the prefix re-, meaning the renewal and repetition of an action, and Latin habilitas, -atis, “fitness, ability.” Since the patient’s functions are not restored at this center, but merely maintained without deterioration, the name abilitation center is logically appropriate here. But it would be better to call such a center in Lithuanian: health maintenance center. 3. What should we call a round, textured toy intended for children who are teething, so they have something to chew on? Let us call that toy a teething ring. 4. Is it acceptable to say interest-free loan, visa-free entry? Pagal “Lietuvių kalbos gramatiką” (V., 1994, 215 p.) priesagos -inis būdvardžius galima daryti iš prielinksninių konstrukcijų: išankstinis pranešimas, povestuvinė kelionė, tarptautiniai santykiai. Priesaginiai-priešdėliniai būdvardžiai turi nuo abiejų sudedamųjų dalių priklausomą reikšmę ir išskiria pažymėtus daiktus bei žymi jų rūšį: pvz.: tarpžvaigždiniai ūkai. Priesagos -inis vedinių nepatartina terminologiškai vartoti su priešdėliu be-: pvz., besimptominė (= besimptomė) ligos forma (žr.: “Terminologijos taisymai” V., 1992). Tai taisoma ir “Kalbos praktikos patarimuose”. Taigi šiuo atveju geriausiai tiktų priešdėlių vediniai beprocentė paskola, bevizis įvažiavimas. Galime sakyti ir paskolą be procentų, įvažiavimas be vizų. Vietoje beprocentinė paskola “Terminologijos taisymuose” siūloma vartoti terminą nepalūkaninė paskola. 5. A criminogenic, criminological, or crime-related state or situation? These expressions are used in crime reports, but they are not entirely appropriate, although the individual words themselves are quite acceptable. Let us analyze the meanings of each. Criminogenic and criminological derive from Latin crimen, criminis, “crime,” Greek genos, “kind, origin,” and Greek logos, “word, concept, science.” Thus criminogenic means “criminal, arising from a violation of permissible norms, of a criminal nature”; compare autogenic, carcinogenic. Although the word criminogenic is not listed in either the Dictionary of Contemporary Lithuanian (V., 1993) or the Dictionary of International Words (V., 1985), it is entirely correct and acceptable, just unsuitable in this particular expression. Criminological is a rather awkward derivative formed with the suffix- 42 -suffix -inis from the word criminology, “the science that studies crime and its causes, and develops measures to prevent crime.” To express belonging to a particular field—in this case, the science of criminology—the descriptive genitive is more suitable than the suffix -inis: criminology methods, criminology situation, and so on. When we hear someone say the state or situation of a crime, we understand that they are referring to the situation or circumstances of the particular event. Thus, in the case mentioned, when reporting crime news, none of the listed features of this expression is appropriate. It is better to use the state or situation of crime, the crime situation. The abstract noun crime, meaning “what is prohibited by law, punishable, impermissible,” and denoting a detached, abstract quality, is appropriate here. In this case, one may also use the word criminal, a derivative formed with the generalized compound international-word suffix -alinis. 43