Lecture 5.

Concept systems; relations between concepts

A term is a unit referring to a reality (mental or physical) that is expressed by means of a form and used for
intercommunication.
Through the meaning we gain access to the semantic system: meanings of signs form ordered semantic
sets together with other meanings.
Through the form we gain access to the formal system that allows us to form new words and expressions.
According to ISO 704/2000,
Concepts: depict or correspond to a set of objects;
are represented or expressed in language by designations or by definitions;
are organized into concept systems;
A concept that depicts a single object is called an individual concept and is represented in special language as an

appellation (e.g., United Nations, Internet, Worldwide Web) or a symbol (e.g.: (Möbius Loop); Statue of

Liberty ).
A concept that depicts a set of two or more objects, it is called a general concept and, in special languages, the
designation takes the form of a term (e.g., floppy disk, liquidity, money market fund, etc.) or a symbol (©, ∩, $).
- properties of an object / set of objects - abstracted as characteristics => combined as a set in the
formation of a concept
Concepts do not exist as isolated units of thought but always in relation to each other; the subject field acts as the
framework
The concept system - a system of related concepts which form a coherent whole
- mental, i.e. abstract, artificial, theoretical, man- made systems.
- static because they represent the conceptual apparatus reflecting the knowledge which exists at a particular
time.
It is important for terminology research to distinguish between ontical systems (the world and material and
immaterial things), concept systems and term systems (linguistic expression and other symbols.
Concept systems
 macro concept system
 micro concept systems
Concept systems
- logical concept systems
- ontological concept systems
o concept systems of contiguity
 partitive concept systems
 local concept systems
 material concept systems
 attributive concept systems
 temporal concept systems: with concept systems of succession or process
o concept systems of influence
 causal concept systems (stress on cause effect)
 developmental concept systems (stress on change)
 functional concept systems (stress on activity/origin of an object)
There are two basic types of relations among concepts: hierarchical and non-hierachical.
Hierarchical relations are
a. generic (the characteristics of superordinate/broader concepts reproduced by subordinate / narrower
concepts). Relations: superordinate (the highest term = top term), subordinate, coordinate
Ex: the classification of the domain Social sciences:
http://www.loc.gov/aba/cataloging/classification/lcco/lcco_h.pdf
b. partitive (meronymic) no reproduction of characteristics between the whole and its parts) relation.
Relational elements:
functional – the part has a function with respect to the whole:
 homeomerous: the part is identical to the other parts making up the whole
separable: the part can be separated from the whole

Non-hierarchical relations are

a. sequential - concepts occur one after another.
b. functional
c. associative ~ pragmatic ~ thematic - concepts are linked by spatial or temporal proximity and may share
non-essential features.
Examples:
producer-product: bake - bread
process – product: weaving - cloth
action-result: presidential election - president elect
action-tool: hammering - hammer
container-contents: bottle - fruit juice
object – form: book - paperback
cause-effect: humidity - mould
opposites: winner - loser

Concept systems
hierarchic concept systems (the concepts in a hierarchy, usually with a superordinate concept):
 logical concept systems
 monohierarchic logical concept system (one superordinate for each concept)
 polyhierarchic logical concept system (several superordinates for a concept)

 monodimensional logical concept system (one criterion of division on each node)

 polydimensional logical concept system (several criterion on one node)

(from N. Nissila, Concept systems in a

balanced sheet, ed. Picht, Peter Lang,
2006)
 combinatory logical concept system
(concepts can be combined with each
other)
 non-combinatory logical concept
system (concepts cannot be combined)
 concept systems based on contiguity
(except temporal concept system)

sequential (concepts in a sequence or in

parallel alternative or coordinate chains)
 temporal concept system
 causal concept system (mostly)
 developmental concept system

heterarchic (several concepts can function as superordinates depending on viewpoint)

o (causal concept systems, partly)
o functional concept systems
 o concept systems with interactional relations (purely heterarchic systems)
o satellite systems

Linguistic relations: monosemy; polysemy, homonymy, oppositeness/antonymy

words – polysemous – several related meanings
terms – homonymous (homonyms = separate entries / terms in different fields)
- monosemy (in the domain) 1 term = 1 concept => conceptual stability
Synonymy: designates the same concept that can be used interchangeably in all contexts.
 True synonyms – to avoid in terminologies – create ambiguities, confusion (notebook vs. laptop – until
new characteristics distinguish between them – that was two years ago – now they ARE different!)
 Quasi-synonyms / near-synonyms - designate the same concept; not interchangeable => differences in
usage depending on communication situations (different usage labels).
 Pseudo-synonyms / false synonyms - different, although often closely related, concepts.
Synonymy in terminology: at different levels
 between a designation and its definition (e.g. alternating current - electric current that reverses direction in
a circuit at regular intervals)
 between the designation and its illustration
 between equivalent terms in different languages (e.g. Eng. design, Fr. dessin)
 between designations of different functional languages (e.g. correctional centre, penitentiary, prison, jail)
 between alternative designations in the same historical language (geographical /other differences – e.g.
windshield (Br E) / windscreen (Am E)
(ap. M.T. Cabre, 1999)
Antonymy*: pairs of words whose meanings are the opposites of one another (Ex: explosion / implosion)

Presentation of concept systems

Relations between concepts can be shown very well in graphic form – a concept diagram - different types of
concept diagrams for terminology: presentation in concept fields or the subject area diagram with tree structure
(subject area tree).

- establishing equivalents between two languages

o an alphabetic list of terms in the SL
o establish a concept system, based on definitions of the terms and the relations between them
o creation of the the other concept system (TL)
o concept system would be merged and the equivalents in the TT can be identified
(ex from T21N)
Terminology activities:
- identifying concepts and concept relations
- establishing concept systems on the basis of identified concepts and concept relations
- defining concepts on the basis of concept systems
- assigning a preferred term to each concept
- recording terms and their definitions in vocabularies and terminology databases
(Rita Temmerman, Towards new ways of terminology description: the socio-cognitive approach,
2000)

(A. Nuopponen Methods of concept analysis – Towards systematic concept analysis Part 2 of 3, LSP Journal,
Vol.1, No.2 (2010)

REMEMBER! concept systems are not always identical between any given pair of languages. Through
terminology research, concepts may be matched where possible, and equivalent terms can then be identified. A
comparison of the concept systems, together with the process of term identification, may reveal gaps in one or the
other of the languages under study, and the creation of equivalent terms may be required to ensure the proper
transfer of specialized knowledge between language communities as well as effective communication among
members of the language communities involved. (from Pavel Terminolgy Tutorial)