Roma Tre University

Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Course: Special Field Lexicography and Terminology
Associate Professors: Stefan Schierholz and Idalete Dias

Terminology and Terminography

Ksenia Pavelko
 1. Functions of Terminology
2. Object (Gegenstand)
3. Concept(Begriff)
3.1. Types of concept
3.2. The description of concept
4. Characteristics (Merkmale)
Content 4. 1. Terminological analysis of characterisitics
4.2. Classification of characteristics
5. Definition(Definition)
 • The functTThehe functions of terminologyions of terminology

1. The functions of terminology

1.Congnitive function
2.Communicative function
3.Сonceptual order
4.Terminological function

Figure 1. The Function of Terminology ( Arntz et all 2014: 39).

 1. The functions of terminology

The diagram shows that three

involved factors “whenever any
statement is made, or understood,
are placed in triangle, the relation
which hold between them being
represented by sides (Ogden and
Richards; 10).

Figure 2. The Triangle of Reference (Ogden and Richards 1923:11)

Figure 3. The

Текст слайда

A four-legged animal with a tail and two

"Dog" ears.
Object - object is defined as anything perceived or
conceived ( ISO 704 2009; 2 ).
Objects may be:
• material (materialler Gegenstand);
• immaterial/abstract (immaterialler Gegenstand); 2. Object
• imagined (imaginärer Gegenstand).
(Gegenstand)
Through conceptualization, objects are categorized into mental
constructs or units of thought called concepts.

The International Standard does not deal with all concepts represented
in language but only with those represented by terminologies.

For terminology, concepts are mental representations of objects within a

specialized context or field. (ISO 704 2009; 2) .

3. Concept (Begriff)
3.1.Types of concepts
• Individual concept depicts a single
object, and is represented in special
language as an appellation or a
symbol.
• General concept depicts a set of two
or more objects. In special language,
the designation takes the form of a
term or a symbol (ISO 704 2000; 2).
 • Intension (Begriffsinhalt)
3.2.The description of • Extension (Begriffsumfang)
concept
• Class (Klasse)

( Arntz, Reiner/ Picht, Heribert/ Mayer, Felix; 52)

3.2.Intension (Beggriffsinhalt)

INTENSION - SET OF EXAMPLE: INTENSION OF A FOUR LEGGED ANIMAL, HAS A TAIL AND 2 EARS USUALLY DOMESTICATED
CHARACTERISTICS WHICH A DOG
MAKES UP THE CONCEPT
Is a kind of animal
an extension of it?
Is a breed of husky a class or an extension of dog?
• Armenian Gampr (Armenian: գամփռ gamp’ṙ)
• The Samoyed ( Russian: Самое́дская соба́ка or Самое́д)
• The Tibetan Mastiff (Canis lupus familiaris) (Tibetan: དོ་ཁྱི,
Chinese: 藏獒; Pinyin: Zàng áo) 3.2.
Extension (Begriffsumfang) -
the set of objects
• Note: extension of 'dog' is a particular class of animals conceptualized as a concept.
(the class of dogs).

3.2. Note: there is a difference
between English and German
terminology
• Arntz, Reiner/ Picht, Heribert/ Mayer,
Felix (2014) differenciate
Begriffsinhalt, Begriffsumfang, Klasse.
• Class (Klasse):
<terminology work> totality of objects
that fall under one concept.
• While ISO 704 (2000)/ISO 704
(2009) do not include the last one.
• Neither have we seen this
term in Hannu Kangassalo (check)
or Kockaert`s (dutch) books of
terminology.
3.2. The description of concept
according to German terminologists

Intension: motor vehicle

Extension: motor car, motor bike, bus, lorry.
Class: entirety of all motor vehicles; kind,
type, year of construction, magnitude,
intended purpose of use( Arntz, Reiner/ Picht,
Heribert/ Mayer, Felix; 53-54)
3.2.

Тype:portugese electric intended purpose of use: Year of production of

sports car Veeco RT, Chinese post lorry Vietnamese bus: 2017
 Characteristics - abstraction of a property of
an object/objects.They are qualifiers and narrow the
meaning of a superordinate concept.

The combination of unique sets of characteristics is

represented in special language by a designation (i.e., a
4.Characteristics term, appellation or symbol).

(Merkmale) Since a designation is not attributed to every individual

ISO 704 2009; object, terminological analysis cannot begin unless the
specific object in question corresponds to a concept
represented by means of a designation or a definition.
 • identifying the context or subject field;
• identifying the properties attributed to
objects in the subject field;
4.1. Terminological • determining those properties which are
analysis abstracted into characteristics;
of characterisitics • combining the characteristics to form a
concept;
• attributing a designation.
4.1.

Текст слайда

The process of conceptualization

Discussion: what characteristics do we need in order the
object house was abstracted into the concept "house"?
4.1.

NOTE:
Concepts are not necessarily bound to particular languages. They are, however, influen
ced by the social or cultural background which often leads to different categorizations.
 Extrinsic (Relationsmerkmalle) -
represent an inherent property of an
4.2.Classification object.
of characteristics
Intrinsic (Beschaffenheitmerkmalle)
- represent the relation of an object
to other objects.

( Arntz et all; 60-61)

4.3.Intrinsic (Relationsmerkmalle)

Shape(circle, square, conic)

Size(length, breadth, diameter)

Color (gold, silver, torquoise)

Position (standing, hanging, floating)

 Те

Extrinsic characterisitcs (Beschaffenheitmerkmalle)

Phelan

• Origin(inventor, manufacturer,
Текст слайда place of origin)
• Comparison (bigger, smaller etc.)
• Assessment (expensive, cheap
etc).
 Necessary characteristics hold for all
objects in the extension of a concept.

A sufficient characteristic determines

Classification of characteristics:
whether a specific object belongs in
necessary, sufficient, and essential the extension of a given concept.
(ISO 704 2009;

An essential characteristic is both

necessary and sufficient to determine
the extension of a concept.
Necessary characteristics (ISO 704:2009;7)
• The concept of ‘right-angled triangle with
sides 3, 4 and 5 cm’.
• For all objects in the extension of this
concept, all the characteristics below 5 cm 4cm
necessarily hold:

3cm

A sufficient characteristic
(ISO 704:2009;7)
Any object that has the properties
corresponding to the characteristics living
in Ukraine and speaking Ukrainian fluently
belongs in the extension of the concept
‘Ukrainian’, but not all Ukrainian speak
Ukrainian fluently .
NOTE: Since sufficient characteristics do
not necessarily hold of all objects in the
extension of a concept, they cannot be
used to define that concept.
 • The property of being the “31st of
October” is both necessary and
Essential sufficient for an object belonging to the
characteristic extension of the concept ‘Independence
Day in Hungary’.
 • Shared characteristics – the indication of similarities
between concepts.
• Delimiting characteristics – indication of differences
that set a concept apart.
• A characteristic is delimiting with respect to two
Classification of characteristics: shared
and delimiting (ISO 704:2009;6) concepts if it distinguishes these concepts from each
other.
• The same characteristic of a concept may be delimiting
in relation to one related concept but shared with
another related concept.
 1. Determination of intension (Festellung des
Begriffsinhalt)
The totallity of characteristics of the concept is the sum of
Why are knowledge about this concept. The change of the
characteristic leads to the establishment of a new concept.
charecteristics
2. The basis of designation formation (Grundlage für
important for a Bennengsbildung).
terminologic work? (the choice between creation of "motivated" designation
(Arnzt; 58) whose reflects the intension or the perceptionof already
existing motivated designation or assessment and revison
of these two. The choice of of characteristics is important
 3. Making the structure of concept system.
The characteristics determine the arrangement of concept
systems: what concept shall appear next to or below the
concept.
The generic term of dog can be divided into categories:
• The use: working dog, domestic dog, guard dog, hunting dog.
Why are • Breed: the Samoyed, Bulldog, Terrier, Shepferd.
charecteristics • Origin:Armenian Gampr, The Tibetan Mastiff, Alano
important for a term Español, Alaskan husky.
in terminologic work 4. The equivalent designation:
? • if the characteristics of concepts, represented by designation,
have similar characteristic, the relevant designations are syn
onyms in the system of one language or equivalents in more
than one language.
 Concept, the
Both the designation and the
designation and the definition all refer to
definition represent the same object(s)
Definitions. the concept. making up the
extension.
How are they
related with definition shall make
designation? A designation is a
succinct way of
it possible to pick
out the extension
referencing the and distinguish the
concept concept from others
within the domain.
 • Some terms are so long and complex that they could
almost serve as definitions because the detailed
components making up the term represent the
characteristics.

The nature of • Some definitions are so short they could almost be

thought of as terms.
definition • Despite this, the definition should not be confused with
the designation in a terminological resource, and
Confusion between synonyms should never be used in place of a definition
in the way they often are in general language
definitions, terms dictionaries.
and designations • Although some terminological resources list
abbreviated forms as terms and provide the full form in
(ISO 704:2009(E) ) the place of the definition, this is not appropriate
terminological practice.
• Both the full form and the abbreviation are
designations and should be treated as terms in a
terminological entry.
 The characteristics indicate the delimitation that distinguishes one
concept from another.

The concept are defined as an an unambiguous intension reflected

by a unique extension.

The unique combination of characteristics creating the intension

shall identify the concept and differentiate it from other concepts.

Intensional definition
It shall include the superordinate concept immediately above,
(ISO 704 2009;22) followed by the delimiting characteristic(s).

The superordinate concept situates the concept in its proper

context in the concept system (i.e. ‘mice’ among ‘pointing devices’,
‘trees’ among ‘plants’).

intensional definitions are preferable to other types of definitions

and should be used whenever possible as they most clearly reveal
the characteristics of a concept within a concept system.

OED online
 • Where are they used? In highly specialized terminology work
directed at specialists who are familiar with the subject field.
• In which form? A list of the subordinate concepts (either
individual or general) under just one criterion of subdivision,
which correspond to objects making up the extension of the
Extensional concept.
• Extensional definitions shall be formulated with reference to
definition the position of the defined concept within its respective
generic concept system.

- Liljana Ristova,Polina • The operator “or” in the definition indicates a generic

relation between the subordinate concepts in the definition
Voronova, Zarina Liurova and and the superordinate concept that is being defined;
Umida Oreyeva
• the operator “and” shall be used to indicate a partitive
relation.
 Conclusions:

concepts depict or correspond to

objects or sets of objects;
Objects are perceived or designations (terms, appellations
are represented or expressed in
conceived; or symbols) designate or represent
language by designations or by
are abstracted or conceptualized a concept;
definitions;
into concepts; are attributed to a concept;
are organized into concept
systems;

definitions define, represent or

describe the concept.