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Terminology lesson 12

Terminology lesson 12. Views on language for special purposes. LSP as an artificial language. Language for special purposes (LSP) artificial ? man-made ? compare them with actual artificial languages similarities differences. Characterisitics of artificial languages.

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Terminology lesson 12

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  1. Terminology lesson 12 Views on language for special purposes

  2. LSP as an artificial language • Language for special purposes (LSP) artificial ? man-made ? • compare them with actual artificial languages • similarities • differences

  3. Characterisitics of artificial languages • They are invented languages • Examples : • the Beaufort scale • created in 1805 by Sir Francis Beaufort • Chemical nomenclature • Guyton de Morveau ; Méthode de nomenclature chimique,1787

  4. Characteristic 2 • Artificial languages are based on and/or refer to natural languages • the Beaufort scale can be transformed into words 3 gentle breeze 4 moderate breeze 5 fresh breeze 6 strong breeze • chemical symbols refer to Latin NaCl – natrium + chloride

  5. Characteristic 3 • Artificial languages are preconceived as a system • The Beaufort scale is based on the concept of a gradation in wind strengths • Chemical nomenclature is based on a system of elements, their combinations and their molecular weight

  6. Characteristic 4 • New elements cannot be added • Beaufort scale : 1 – 12 • Chemical nomenclature : possible, but within rules

  7. Characteristic 5 • No ambiguity • No synonymy • No polysemy • Beaufort : need for unambiguous communication between seafarers • Chemical nomenclature : need for correctly motivated terminology

  8. Characteristic 6 • Severely reduced syntax • Beaufort : no combination • Chemical nomenclature : combinations limited • Strictly limited number of signs/symbols • Beaufort : 1 - 12 • Fixed in writing • Primarily written (or semaphored) symbols

  9. Characteristic 7 • Internationally used • Beaufort scale • Primarily consists of numbers • Translated unambiguously into all languages 4 /moderate breeze/jolie brise/mäßige Brise • Chemical nomenclature • NaCl : sodium chloride/chlorure de sodium/Natriumchlorid …

  10. mes employés, vitesse moyenne en noeuds (kt) et km/h, état de la mer.

  11. Characteristic 8 • Artificial languages have no emotive or poetic functions

  12. Jakobson’s functions of language • Referential – focusing on context • Emotive – focusing on addresser • Conotive – focusing on addressee • Phatic – focusing on the contact • Metalingual – focusing on the code • Poetic – focusing on the message

  13. And what of LSPs? • invented ? • The English or French used for scientific texts is contained within general English/French • Only partly invented for some terms • created consciously

  14. Based on natural language? • Rather part of natural language Preconceived as a system? • Only for highly ordered series • nomenclatures and taxonomies • Impossible to add new elements • not impossible, but regulated • Unambiguous • An aim, a tendency of LSP, though not always observed

  15. restrictions • Severely reduced syntax • Strictly limited number of signs/symbols • Fixed in writing

  16. international scope Terms tend to be international, or have agreed-on equivalents Written styles tends to be similar between languages A French physicist, who is unable to speak English well, may be able to read articles on his subject without any trouble.

  17. Example : the weather forecast as an LSP text • What features enable us to classify a weather forecast as an LSP text ? • How many codes ? • How are the codes related ? • What role does convention play ?

  18. LSP – language or discourse? • Cf. Saussure’s distinction between : Language and speech (langue et parole) • The first refers to the system. • The second to how it is used (speech or discourse) Is LSP a feature which is incorporated into the language code, or is it a particular way of using the code?

  19. LSP is a discourse feature • LSP is the use of a language • not the language itself • a phenomenon which is observed in texts • through textual analysis • a particular use of a language • cf. (Quemada) for French; • vocabulary • which was held to be the main feature of LSPs • is not central to the language system.

  20. LSP is a language feature • In studying texts we aim at deducing the language system (Kocourek 1991 : 16 ; 251) • The definition of discourse does not encompas the whole semiotic system; • The vocabulary of LSPs is specific and systematic; • An LSP cannot be reduced to a style or a register since it itself has styles and registers.

  21. LSP or LSPs? • The legal texts and chemistry texts use language very differently • Many of the language features found in legal texts are absent from chemistry text • Can the same methods be used for analysing the English (or French) of legal texts and chemistry texts?

  22. Some definitions of LSP • Par langue de spécialité, on entend essentiellement « un sous - système linguistique qui utilise une terminologie et d'autres moyens linguistiques et qui vise la non-ambiguïté de la communication dans un domaine particulier » (Lerat, 1995).

  23. a technolect? • LSP is often referred to as a technolect • This introduces a parallel with • dialect • idiolect • But is it a valid parallel ? • Is the English (or French) LSP for motor mechanics any less English or French? • It is simply the way English or French is used to talk about motor mechanics.

  24. A discursive set of definitions • Pierre Lerat points to the advantage of the English LSP, • since language is both • linguistique activity (in French langage) • and language (langue) at once. • Sager’s definition • the linguistic means of communication needed to convey specialised information between specialists of the same subject.

  25. An assimetrical definition • « Je propose de concevoir et de redéfinir la distinction entre LG et LS comme une distinction asymétrique • où le concept de LG fait partie d'une distinction épistémologique entre ce qui est particulier et ce qui est général, • entre traits qui ne caractérisent qu'une seule forme d'usage • et traits que l'on peut trouver dans toutes les formes d'usage d'un langue (et cela à tous le niveaux, des unités lexicales à la cohésion textuelle et au but communicatif lié à chaque genre de texte, en passant par des structures morphologiques et syntaxiques). On a donc, en principe, ici affaire à deux dimensions différentes de la même forme d'usage. • Au contraire, le concept de LS fait partie d'une distinction ontologique, • c'est à dire d'une distinction à l'intérieur de ce qui est donnée empiriquement, • et où l'on compare deux forme d'usage différentes et particulières • (par exemple le français technique et le français de la presse). « Frandsen 1998 : 30

  26. Further reading • Read F. Gaudin, Socioterminologie, 2003, p. 46-49 disponible sur Google books, for a sociolinguistic critique of definitions of LSP.

  27. LSP as an ordered set of constraints • constraints of meaning controlled by definition • constraints on vocabulary used • constraints due to text type • constraints resulting from interaction linguistic and non-linguistic codes • contraints resulting from language policy • others?

  28. Bibliography • CABRE, Maria Teresa (1998 [1992]), La Terminologie. Théorie, méthode et applications, Ottawa, Les Presses universitaires de l’Université d’Ottawa/Armand Colin • FRANDSEN, Finn (1998), « Langue générale et langue de spécialité : une distinction asymétrique? » dans GAMBIER, Y (dir.), Discours professionnels en français. Peter Lang. p. 15-34 • GAUDIN, François (2003), Socioterminologie,, une approche sociolinguistique de la terminologie, Bruxelles, Duculot De Boeck. • JAKOBSON, Roman (1963-1973), Essais de linguistique générale, Paris, Les Éditions de Minuit • KOCOUREK, Rostislav (1991 [1982]), La langue française de la technique et de la science. Vers une linguistique de la langue savante, 2° édition augmentée, Wiesbaden/Paris, Brandstetter Verlag • LERAT, Pierre (1995), Les langues spécialisées, Paris, PUF • QUEMADA , Bernard (1978) « Technique et langage », dans GILLE B. (dir.), Histoire des techniques, p 1146-1240. Collection « La Pléïade » • SAGER, Juan Carlos (1990), A Practical Course in Terminology Processing, Amsterdam/Philadelphie, John Benjamins Publishing.

  29. Notes on definitions • strike [geology]: the direction of a fault trace on the Earth’s surface • Is the anchorword direction or measurement? • reverse fault [geology]: a fault caused by the hanging wall moving up through compressional forces • If the anchorword is the ‘genus proximus’, it should be a dip-slip fault. • dip-slip fault [geology]: a fault caused by movement up or down the fault plane

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