Engleski jezik u informatičkoj struci / English for IT – Unit 4

Unit 4. (Lecture)
Adding new words to the English IT jargon

Section 4.1. Six key procedures in which words in IT are

created
1. Creating new meanings for existing words (Semantic shifts)

2. Creating new word categories or meanings using prefixes and

suffixes (Derivation)

3. Using existing words in new word categories

(Conversion or ‘morphing’)

4. Shortening (Clipping)

5. Creating composite forms based on shortenings (Blending)

6. Creating composite forms based on two or more complete words

(Compounding)

Key (answers / sample answers are inserted after each task)

Questions to explore
(obligatory)

Optional questions

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 Engleski jezik u informatičkoj struci / English for IT – Unit 4

Section 4.1. Six key procedures in which words in IT are

created
Procedure 1. Creating new meanings for existing words (Semantic
shifts)

Semantic shifts refer to metaphorically used words / loan words from General English that
get additonal / new meanings, for example, when they are used in IT English.

Below find three examples of semantic shifts:

Example 1. Consider the two meanings of the verb boot in English. Notice how the
borrowed form in English for IT (related to using the computer) produced another form
(reboot) which is only used in IT English:

boot
from
General English:
to kick somebody hard with your boot
to
English for IT:
to prepare a computer for use by loading its operating system

reboot
only in English for IT:
to shut down and restart (a computer or program)

Example 2. Consider several meanings of the noun client in English.

client
from
General English:
a person who receives services, esp. from a lawyer or other person who gives advice
and
Business English:
a customer who buys goods or services from a store, restaurant, etc.
to
English for IT:
a computer or piece of software or equipment that is connected to a
server (= a large central computer) from which it gets information
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/client

Example 3. Consider the meanings of the phrase killer app in English:

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killer app
Only in English for IT:
A software application that is exceptionally useful or exciting. Killer apps are innovative
and often represent the first of a new breed, and they are extremely successful.

https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/killer-app

Task 1 (Semantic shift)

In the table below, consider the sets of words from General English that are commonly used
in IT jargon. They are all common English words used metaphorically in IT English.

Answer the question:

Question 1. What do the words in each set have in common semantically?

a. save crop refresh drag (and drop) export / import

b. mouse snail mail viral bug
c. memory intelligence neural network
d. platform firewall window helpdesk sandbox
e. tool hardware mining output control panel processing
assemble
f. repository storage warehouse vault
g. messenger assistant peer
h. smart warm cold dark soft strong thin

Key to Task 1 (page 3)

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What do the words in each set have in common semantically?

They are all common English words used metaphorically in IT English. Possible
explanations for the categories are:

a. crop refresh drag & drop export / import

(actions related to different contexts outside IT)
b. mouse snail mail viral bug
(living organisms; adj. viral < virus)
c. memory intelligence neural network
(characteristics attributed to animals or humans related to the nervous system / brain /
mental capacities)
d. platform firewall window helpdesk sandbox
(words that normally denote places or parts of a physical environment)
e. tool engine hardware mining output control panel
processing assemble platform build a website
(words related to production, industry, engineering etc.)
f. repository storage warehouse vault
(words related to storing objects, products etc.)
g. messenger assistant peer
(words normally related to people)
h. smart (e.g. smart device) warm cold (e.g. warm and cold reboot)
dark (e.g the dark web) soft (e.g. soft robots) strong (e.g. strong AI)
thin (e.g. thin client)
(adjectives)
N.B. Definitions of phrases in section h. above will be provided in Unit 5 (Making
definitions) – you don’t need to look them up on your own at this moment.

Which of the adjectives above would you use in the following pair of sentences:
_______ Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a type of artificial intelligence that creates mental
capacities, cognitive processes, and behaviours that mimic those of the human brain. It is
more like a philosophical approach than a practical one. 
_______ AI, on the other hand, is quite attainable due to the way it defines intelligence.
Rather than attempting to fully replicate a human mind, ______ AI focuses on creating
intelligence focused on a certain job or subject of study.

(Required)
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 Engleski jezik u informatičkoj struci / English for IT – Unit 4

Look up the meanings of all the words in the table in Task 1 (sections a-g)
as they are used in IT. You should be able to recognize their definition or a
specific IT context in which they are used.

You don’t need to be able to provide / create your own definition of these
words, just recognize its meaning.
You can use the following web resource for definitions:
https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia

Example:
sandbox (when used in the cybersecurity context)
A restricted environment in which certain functions are prohibited. Sandboxes are used to
isolate one running application from another and to run software downloaded from the
Internet that is not entirely trusted. (https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/sandbox)

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Procedure 2. Creating new word categories or meanings using

prefixes and suffixes (Derivation)

The Croatian term for words formed by using prefixes and/or suffixes: izvedenice.

Three important features of prefixes

We use prefixes in front of the stem / root word. We use prefixes to change the meaning of
the word. Generally speaking, prefixes are not used as individual items, but all of them carry
a meaning (for example: negative meaning, size, number, position, etc.).

Two important features of suffixes

We use suffixes at the end of the stem / root word. We use suffixes to change the word
category / class, and exceptionally, to also change the meaning (e.g. –less in ‘lossless’).

An example of suffixes would be a group of common suffixes for building verbs:

Verb-forming suffixes (added to nouns or adjective)

-ise, -ize legalise -ify simplify

-en broaden -ate calculate

Examples:
Procedure Individual elements used New word
PREFIXATION anti-, virus antivirus
nano-, second nanosecond*

SUFFIXATION loss, -y, -less lossy, lossless

record, -able recordable
cinema, -tic cinematic
depend, -ability dependability
molecule, -ar molecular
self, -ie selfie

Question 2. *What is the meaning of the prefix ‘nano-‘ in ‘nanosecond’?

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Question 2. Answer: "one billionth"; primarily with the metric system, this
prefix denotes a factor of 10 −9 or 0.000000001
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nano-)

Pronunciation:
10 to the negative 9th power or 10 to the power of minus nine

Using derivation in translating academic and IT-related words into Croatian

Using prefixes and suffixes is commonly used in Croatian in creating new terms
across different professional jargons (e.g. računalizirati, usustaviti, raskužiti etc.).
Example of a deerived word in the context of information systems:

‘oslonjivost informacijskog sustava' – information system dependablity

However, in some cases there are differences in the use of prefixes and suffixes
between English and Croatian:

automation – automatizacija
encode – kodirati
digitization / digitalization (both forms possible, with a different meaning) –
digitalizacija
inadequate – neadekvatan
non-verbal – neverbalan
disinfectant – dezinficijens
authentication – autentifikacija

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Procedure 3. Using existing words in new word categories

(Conversion or ‘morphing’)

There is a growing tendency for the existing words in IT English to be used in new word
categories. Thus nouns become verbs, verbs and adjectives are used as nouns etc. This is
known as conversion. Some examples are shown in the table below:

Nouns … … that are used attributively (as adjectives)

USB (noun) a USB port (used attributively)

dot-com (noun) dot-com boom / dot-com age

(used attributively)
Phrasal verbs … … that got to be used as nouns / adjectives as well
plug in a plug-in / plug-ins
log in log-in (used as a noun)
login data (used as adjective)
lock down lockdown (noun)
Adjectives … … that got to be used as nouns (usually in plural)
peripheral peripherals
portable an ultraportable
confusable confusables*
macro software create macros
Verbs … … that got to be used as nouns as well
like 2 million likes on Facebook
rethink It’s a rethink.
Nouns … … that got to be used as verbs as well
electronic mail > e-mail Can you e-mail / text me the answer?
text message

* (Optional)
For examples of confusables in language (such as EFL) see:
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/quiz/elt/confusables

NOTE: Some examples of conversion in English words are also imported into Croatian:
‘fotošopiran’, ‘lajkati’ (notice the additional use of suffixes in Croatian to indicate the word
category).

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Procedure 4. Shortening (Clipping)

Unlike acronyms (e.g. PIN, CPU) and abbreviations (e.g. Prof., Ltd., ch., pp.) introduced in
Unit 1, clippings refer to removing a whole part of a word to make it shorter:

(tele)phone telecom(munications company) exam(ination) tech(nology)

ad(vertisement) the Met(ropolitan Opera) uni(versity)

The Croatian term for words formed by using clipping is odsječenice.

NOTE: Like in English, when used in Croatian, such words indicate a less formal register:
‘fejs’, ‘komp’, ‘telka’.

Task 2

Question 3. Observe the definition of the verb ‘spec’ from a dictionary.

Which of the two descriptions is correct?

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/spec

a) the verb ‘spec’ is presented as a short form of ‘specification’; when used as a verb,
‘spec’ is an example of semantic shift and conversion
 
b) ‘spec’ is described as a verb related to the noun specification; when used as a verb,
‘spec’ is an example of clipping and conversion
 

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Key to Task 2 (page 9)

Correct answer:

b) ‘spec’ is described as a verb related to the noun specification; when used as a verb,
‘spec’ is an example of clipping and conversion
 

Procedure 5. Creating composite forms based on shortenings

(Blending)

Blends or ‘portmanteau’ words are created by merging the meaning and form of two items
(one or both of which are a shortened form) into one word.

web + log > blog internet + acronym > netcronym

next-generation > next-gen memory + resistors > memristors

The Croatian term for words formed by using blending is sraslice / stopljenice.

NOTE: Examples of blends in Croatian are ‘mobitel’, ‘redomat’ or ‘radoholičar’.

Task 3.

Question 4. What is the blended form of words free and premium in the definiton
below?

A combination of the words "free" and "premium," the term _____________ is a type of
business model that offers basic features to users at no cost and charges a premium for
supplemental or advanced features.

Key to Task 3 (page 10)

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freemium

A combination of the words "free" and "premium," the term freemium is a type of business
model that offers basic features to users at no cost and charges a premium for supplemental
or advanced features.
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/f/freemium.asp

(Optional)
Watch a short video lesson on ‘portmanteau’ words in English, including some examples
from IT jargon. Learn about the origin of the word ‘portmanteau’ which itself is a
‘portmanteau word’:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0CT9KNaNEc

Find the answer to the question: What is the synonym of the word ‘portmanteau’ used
in the video?

Procedure 6. Creating composite forms based on two or more complete

words (Compounding)

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 Engleski jezik u informatičkoj struci / English for IT – Unit 4

Different word categories can be combined to form compounds. Compounds can consist of
two or more independent words joined without any hyphen or space. Such compounds
(spelt as one word) have usually been used for a long time.
Newly made compounds – especially those involving more that two words are written with
hyphens (They’re new to all this looking-after-the-kids stuff).

Procedure Familiar elements used Compound (spelt as one or more

words)
COMPOUNDING PC, call a PC-to-PC call
computer, aid, language, computer-aided language
learning learning (CALL)
mother, board motherboard
work, flow workflow
high, speed, tech jargon high-speed tech jargon
bench, mark, testing benchmark testing
pop up, menu pop-up menu
high OR low, resolution high-resolution image
also) high-res / low-res image
(example of compounding and
clipping)

The Croatian term for phrases based on two or more complete words: složenice.

NOTE: When English compounds are translated into Croatian there is usually an issue with
the word order, as in the example from a Croatian text:

Gaming na laptopima za old school gamere nije neka opcija.

(possible translations ‘tradicionalne gamere’ – same order OR ‘gamere starog kova’ –

possible translation with a different word order)

Compounds and their translation will also be covered in other units in this course.

(Optional)

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You can keep track of newly coined words on webpages of dictionaries,

such as the Collins English Dictionary.
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/submissions/latest

(Optional)
For examples of nouns that became verbs and verbs that became nouns see

https://www.macmillandictionary.com/learn/language-quizzes/nounings-
and-verbings.html

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