Lecture+worksheet 6 Term records

A record is a set of field-value pairs of data that can be queried in a collection. The database
equivalent is a “row”, in information systems it could be referred to as a “document” or “object”.

A field is a sub-component of a record.

In many records, fields are grouped around the two basic aspects: the terms and
the concept. Thus, the fields domain, subdomain, definition, technical note,
annex refer to the concept.

The fields grammatical class, alternative form, phraseology, context, linguistic

note, equivalent term are related to the term.

Although in theory records may include a maximum number of fields (which

secures the creator against any omissions), in real life not all information is used
and the number of fields varies, depending on the field and the aim of the
termbase.

For a bilingual termbase or dictionary* (whose main user will be a translator), the
following fields will be used:

- The term
- Grammatical information
- Definition
- Alternative forms
- Synonyms
- Equivalent(s)

*some dictionaries may provide other information such as etymology, phonetical

or grammatical particularities etc.

Info related to context, phraseology, or those explaining the relation between

concepts – generic – specific, holonym – meronym etc. – assist the translator –
usually a layperson – in understanding the domain. In an electronic glossary,
such fields can allow the user to navigate within the domain. (ex. 1)

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 Ex 1

In some cases, certain fields are omitted, as they would make the record
unnecessarily cumbersome (ex 2), in some other cases additional fields are
introduced – they may add to the definition some non-defining characteristics
that are useful for the specialist (ex. 3); in example 4, only the fields
domain/subdomain, definition and equivalent are retained from the basic term
record, the rest of the fields are entirely specific of the domain.

Here are some sample term records:

Ex. 2

2
 Ex.
3

Ex.
4

(adapted from Tipuri de fise terminologice, Marian Pitar, Univ de Vest,

Timisoara)

Term records are collected to form a database. The terminology database (aka
termbase) is characterized by:
1. macrostructure, i.e. logical order, usually reflecting the conceptual system of
individual fields;
2. microstructure, i. e. content of individual terminological records;
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3. method of term record creation and choice of resources used for obtaining
terminological information.
Therefore, the terminology database is neither a library nor an electronic collection of
dictionaries, but a structured collection of terminological records. (Simkova et al., 2017)

Term records in termbases come mostly in electronic format nowadays. Most Cat
packages have a terminology management component. Below is an example of
a term record with the respective fields in SDL Trados.

Ex. 5. Record structure SDL MultiTerm

The term record is usually concept-oriented and displays all terms in all languages
pertaining to a specific concept. When creating a term record from scratch, one can use
either the standard input format or use a predefined template to immediately display
certain descriptive fields. The concept-based approach allows users to store synonyms
in the same term record, optionally with additional labels (e.g. “abbreviation”, “approved
term”, “forbidden term”). This increases the efficiency of the term recognition and
integration in the translation environment. (Kockaert @ Steurs, 2015)

TASK 1A. The MemSource also contains a Termbase management component.

Register with MemoQ (the Personal free version, see Pricing) and create 5 term records
from the domain ”packaging/ambalaje”* and provide a screenshot of the records for
your folder. Carton ondulat, folie de aluminiu plus inca 3+ screenshot cu numele in titlu
Plus info pentru ala din termbases.eu, definition, gender, tra la la
https://www.memsource.com/features/term-bases/#video

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TASK 1 B. Alternatively, register with Termbases and create a termbase and 5 records
for a term from the ”packaging/ambalaje”* domain. https://www.termbases.eu/
*https://ambalaje.net/tipuri-ambalaje.php

Blister pack – noun; regular plural

Domain: general packaging
Def.: Blister pack is a term for several types of pre-formed plastic packaging used for small consumer
goods, foods, and for pharmaceuticals.
Specialised domain: pharmaceutical industry
Specialised definition: A blister pack is a transparent, molded piece of plastic, often sealed to a sheet of
cardboard, used to package small items such as tablets.
Variant/Also called: bubble pack