Dr. Carlos F. Márquez Linares Dr. Enrique F. Quero Gervilla Doctoral Programme in Languages, Texts and Contexts Faculty of Translation and Interpreting university of granada

Guidelines for Term Formation

According to Sager, there are “three dimensions of the terminology theory”: a “cognitive” one, a “linguistic” one and a “communicative” one (Sager, 1990, pp. 13). This fact coupled with the specific nature of scientific and technical language determines a special use of terms and restricts term-concept relations. Terms represent complicated structures and enjoy special, unique functions within the LSP.

The etymology of the word “term” (Latin terminus “end, boundary line” (Online Etymology Dictionary) indicated the restriction of term functions (Kornievskaya, 2015). A number of principles are attributed to terms, outlining the guidelines for designating a concept: transparency, consistency, appropriateness, linguistic economy (conciseness), derivability, linguistic correctness, preference for the native language (ISO, 1999, p. 24; UNESCO, 2005, p. 10). Some researchers also pay attention to the requirement for a single meaning or monosemanticity (Leichik, 2007, p. 45; Reformatskij, 2005, p. 61; Lemov, 2000, pp. 46-47, etc.). The principle of excluding synonyms within a particular terminology is sometimes considered as indispensable for terminology (Vinogradov & Platonova, 1999).

It goes without saying that a term cannot be contradictory, nor can it refer to an undefined meaning, otherwise its main function would be impaired. A term should always have a clear definition, being a part of language for special purposes and referring to a single concept. Thus, term accuracy is one of the most important term features.

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