Transcript A MULTILINGUAL STATISTICAL DICTIONARY IN THE …

Principles of Terminology Development
Dr Mariëtta Alberts
Pan South African Language Board
Introduction
 National Language Bodies (NLBs)
 Technical Committees (TCs)
 Standardization
 Spelling and Orthography
 Lexicography vs. Terminography
 Terminology
as
a
tool
in
language
development
 Information
technology
language development
-
the
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
future
of
National Language Bodies (NLBs):
 Are the custodians of the languages
 Determine the standards of the languages
 Empower, promote and develop languages
 Verify and authenticate terms
 Work through Technical Committees (TCs)
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Advisory capacity of NLBs:
 Technical Committees (TCs) advise the NLBs and
PanSALB on:

Standardisation

Terminology development

Dictionary needs

Literature and Media

Research

Education

Other language related matters
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Standardization
 Crystal (1985) defines standardisation as a
natural development of a standard language
in a speech community or an attempt by a
community to impose one dialect as a
standard.
 According to Hudson (1980) standardisation
is a direct and deliberate intervention by
society to create a standard language where
before there were just ‘dialects’ (non-standard
varieties).
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Standardization (cont.)
 Standard languages are usually associated with
prestige and cut across regional differences,
providing a unified means of communication.
 The standard language is an institutionalised
norm which can be used in mass media,
economic sector, education, science and
technology:
Concept Symbol Linguistic representation
•
••
I i 1
II ii 2
one, een, eins, uno, tee, nngwe, inye, ukunye
two, twee, zwei, duo, pedi, bobedi, isibini, isibili
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Standardization (cont.)
 Standardization
is necessary to facilitate
communication, provide a uniform form for
learning material and dictionaries, and the
establishment of agreed orthography and
spelling rules.
 Standardised
terms
ensure
exact
communication among subject specialists
themselves, but also between subject
specialists and laypeople.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Standardised terms
 The increasing use of
non-standard language
in the classroom often
has dire consequences
for learners and for
language development
 alimentary canal
 digestive tract
 gastrointestinal tract
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Standardization
 Unified spelling and orthography systems should
be created for the languages
standardization.
selected
for
 Lexicographers and terminographers document
the vocabulary and terminology of the standard
variety of a language.
 Lexicographers and terminographers adhere to
the spelling and orthography rules of the standard
variety of a language when compiling dictionaries.
 Language practitioners and language users need
standardised spelling and orthography rules.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Modernisation
 No living language is static. A living language
change and therefore it needs to be
modernised.
 Modernisation entails that the spelling and
orthography rules of a language need to be
revised on a regular basis.
 An orthography is to literacy what numeration
is to numeracy (EN Emenanjo, 1998)
 Language modernisation is a co-operative
venture between government agencies (i.e.
language bureaux) and the speakers of the
language.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Revision of spelling and orthography rules
 PanSALB requested the National Language Bodies in July




2004 to revise the current (DoE) spelling and orthography
rules.
The Technical Committees: Standardization of the nine
African Language NLBs revised the current rules.
Consultative meetings were held with stakeholders to
discuss draft rules.
The process was finalized in 2007 and PanSALB is in the
process of publishing the revised spelling and orthography
rules (2008).
The revision of spelling and orthography rules is an ongoing
process and the NLBs will immediately after publication start
with the revision process. Publication would be at the end of
the 5 year term of office of NLBs.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Lexicography vs. Terminography
 Lexi = word
 Lexicography
-graphy = to write
is the practice of
compiling
dictionaries.
 Dictionaries can be compiled on any aspect of
language,
i.e.
general
words,
explanatory
dictionaries,
translation
dictionaries,
slang
dictionaries, etymological dictionaries, dialectal
dictionaries, technical dictionaries
 Terminography is the practice of compiling
technical dictionaries that are subject related.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Terminology development
 Terminologists document terminology with the aim of
providing subject specialists and laypeople with
standardised terms that denote the corresponding
concepts.
 It is of the utmost importance to use standardised
terms in subject related work.
billion: 109 or 1012 ?
Concept
English/German
109
milliard
1012
billion

American/French
billion
trillion
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
What is terminology?
 The set of practices and methods used for the
collection, description and presentation of
terms;
 A theory, i.e. the set of premises, arguments and
conclusions required for explaining the
relationship between concepts and terms which
are fundamental for a coherent terminological
activity;
A
vocabulary of a special subject
(Sager 1990;3; Cluver 1989:146)
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
field.
Terminology: Basic principles
Cognitive dimension
Linguistic dimension
Communicative dimension
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Basic principles: Cognitive dimension
 Point of departure is concept.
 Principally subject or domain oriented rather
than language oriented.
 There is a one to one relationship between
concept
and
communication.
term
to
ensure
 Terminology is a standardising process.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
exact
Terminological triangle:
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Definitions
 If a concept is defined, the exact meaning can be
determined: .__________.
 A definition is therefore supplied to designate the
concept: a straight line is the shortest distance
between two points
 Information on the concept is then gained from the
definition to name such concept or to coin a term:
straight line: reguitlyn, umugqa oqondo thwi, umgca
ongqalileyo,
umugca
locondzile,
umudathwi,
molatlhamalalo, mothalothwii, mola o otlolohileng,
mutalo tswititi, layini-thwi, layini yo ololoka
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
arsonist vs. pyromaniac
 The terms arsonist and pyromaniac describe a
person who sets fire to an object, but:
 An arsonist is a criminal who deliberately sets
fire to something, e.g. a building.
 A pyromaniac is a person who cannot control
the desire to set fire to things, often because of a
mental illness.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Basic Principles: Linguistic dimension
 Primary term creation
 Source language (SL) / documentation language (DL)
 Linguistic or non-linguistic representation of concept
 Concept formulation = monolingual
 New discoveries/development, restructuring of
knowledge
 Secondary term creation
 Target language(s)
 Transfer of knowledge = bilingual / multilingual
 Subject to stricter guidelines (word-forming principles)
 Dominated by natural language
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Supplying of term equivalents
 Transliteration


Using the classic stem (usually Latin or Greek)
seolfor → silabar → silbar → silfr → silubr: silver, silwer, silibera,
silefera, selefera, isilivere, isiliva
 Borrowing (loan words)
From any living language: book / boek / puku
 Total embedding (origin: e.g. Latin, Italian)
 Adoption of term:
bone fide; sub iudice (Legal);

vena maxillaris (Medical);
andante; allegro (Music)
 Extension of meaning: mouse (rodent; computer device)
 Neologisms: virtual network; intranet; internet; e-mail;
 unleaded petrol (lead-free* petrol)
 computer: rekenaar / calculator: sakrekenaar
 komper/rekenaar; beeldradio/televisie
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Basic principles: Communicative dimension
 Transfer of knowledge and information through
terminology
 Communication usually linguistic (written, spoken),
but also non-linguistic (symbols, gestures, icons,
mnemonic signs, videos, colours, …)
 Terminology involved in information transfer/retrieval
 Information transfer and retrieval/assimilation best
through first language
 Terminology should be known/understood by
author/sender and reader/recipient of information
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
The role of terminology:
 Language development -
functional languages in all
domains/subject areas
 Information retrieval
through mother tongue/ first language
(acquire vs. convey)
 Standardisation:
misunderstanding vs. exact communication
 Cultural differences:
raisin = grape or dried fruit?
private school vs. public school
billion = 109
or = 1012
 Consultation:
subject specialists, language practitioners, lay
people, stakeholders, members
of National Language Bodies, etc.
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Terminology as a discipline is
 at the service of the language policy of the
reigning government, e.g. monolingual, bilingual
or multilingual;
 governed by the language policy of the country

previous dispensation:
dictionaries
bilingual

present dispensation: multilingual term lists
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
technical
Role of Terminology in language
development
 Availability of multilingual polythematic terminology:
indicator of development
 Specialised communication has a central axle or
hub in terminology
 Streamlined translation and interpreting services
provide competitive advantages
 Standardised terminology contributes to quality of
translations, interpreting
communication
and
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
subject
related
Client
Multilingual terminology list (SL + TLs)
Head of Terminology Office
System Development & Research
Needs assessment, prioritization
Data management & Publication
Print dictionary SL & TLs
Terminography Section
Excerpt SL terms
Define SL concepts
Natural Sciences
Terminology Section
Supply translation equivalents in TLs
Life Sciences Human Sciences Commercial Sciences
IsiXhosa
Tshivenda
Sesotho
isiZulu
Xitsonga
Sesotho sa Leboa
IsiNdebele
Afrikaans
Setswana
Siswati
Consultation
Subject specialists
- Source Language
Linguists
Consultation - Target language(s)
Language Users
Subject specialists
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Linguists
Language Users
 Compilation of terminology list is a time-consuming
task
 A task that needs commitment and devotion from

subject specialists

trained terminologists

language practitioners, linguists (e.g. NLBs)
 End-result:

enhancement of subject area

better / exact communication
development of languages into functional languages

Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
The Envisaged Web-enabled Lexicography and Terminology Management Model
INTERNET (via HLT interface)
TERMLISTS
DICTIONARIES
CD-ROMS
ON-LINE DICTIONARIES
COLLABORATORS
USERS
LINGUISTS
SUBJECT SPECIALISTS
GENERAL PUBLIC
NATIONAL WORD AND TERMBANK
(via HLT interface)
TERMINOLOGISTS
TRANSLATORS
WORD AND TERMBANK
ADMINISTRATOR
LEXICOGRAPHERS
11 NLUs
EXTERNAL
INPUT
HLT
interface
EXTERNAL
INPUT
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Dissemination of
terminological information
 Direct queries to national termbank (e.g. Intranet,TCS
homepage (flat files))
 Online dictionaries on Internet or CD ROM
 Indirect queries to national termbank via e-mail,
telephone or fax
 Publications (term lists, technical dictionaries)
 Documents
containing
terms:
text
books,
dissertations, manuals, journals, brochures, etc.
 Mass communication media (radio, press, TV…)
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
PanSALB skills development terminology training programme
TCS, NLS, DAC
PanSALB
Re-skilling of
unemployed
and other
language
workers
Multilingual polythematic
national term bank
National Lexicography Units
Monolingual general dictionaries
National Language Bodies
Verify and authenticate terms
(need terminographic guidelines)
Individuals, private and public organizations
Provincial Language Committees
Subject specialists
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
HLT virtual network
 SA Government has approved the development of
a human language technology (HLT) virtual
network
 All lexicography and terminology endeavours will
be part of HLT virtual network
 Multilingual terms available on HLT virtual network
to end-users (subject specialists, students,
language practitioners, general public)
 Spellcheckers are made available in official
languages
 Microsoft Interface Packs (LIP) for XP and Vista
platforms
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
The following diagram demonstrates the various relationships:
MEDIA
University
A
Govt
Dept B
SABC
Centre for
Human Language Technologies
NLU
Z
Central planning, coordination &
consultation
Digital Text and Speech Corpora
Acquisition, enhancement, management
University
D
NLP Software development
NLU
P
Company
A
HLT Training
University
C
Company
B
Govt
Dept A
Resources and Expertise to feed into
National
Lexicographic
Units
(NLUs)
Government
Departments
HLT products for
e-governance
e-learning
e-commerce
Private sector
development
ICT (HLT) job
creation
software dev.
e-commerce
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Academic
research and
development
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008
Thank you!
Dr Mariëtta Alberts
PanSALB
Private Bag X08
ARCADIA 0007
[email protected]
Tel: 012 341 9638
Fax: 012 341 5938
Dr Mariëtta Alberts, SATI seminar, Pretoria
11 June 2008