Towards New Ways of Terminology Description: The Sociocognitive Approach.

Abstract

Based on an empirical study of categorisation and lexicalisation processesin a corpus of scientific publications on the life sciences, RitaTemmerman questions the validity of traditional terminology theory.Her findings are that the traditional approach impedes a pragmaticand realistic description of a large number of categories and terms.Inspired by the cognitive sciences, she develops an alternative.The main principles of this new theory imply: a combined semasiologicaland onomasiological perspective; only few categories can be clearlydelineated; form and content of definitions vary according to categorytypes and user's requirements; synonymy and polysemy are functionalin special language and a diachronic approach is unavoidable. Thislast principle implies the varying importance of historical informationin definitions, the non-arbitrariness of lexicalisation and the importanceof cognitive models.In a last chapter the author shows how the methods and principlesof the alternative approach are applicable in terminography and howthis is going to have an impact on software for terminological databaseconstruction.This book will be valuable for specialists in terminology theory,practising terminographers and for anybody interested in speciallanguage, cognitive models and prototype theory.