Terminology Lesson four

What are the term candidates ? What are ferns? Ferns are a very ancient family of plants: early fern fossils predate the beginning of the Mesozoic era, 360 million years ago. They are older than land animals and far older than the dinosaurs. They were thriving on Earth for two hundred million years before the flowering plants evolved. As we know them now, most ferns are leafy plants that grow in moist areas under forest canopy. They are "vascular plants" with well- developed internal vein structures that promote the flow of water and nutrients. Unlike the other vascular plants, the flowering plants and conifers, where the adult plant grows immediately from the seed, ferns reproduce from spores and an intermediate plant stage called a gametophyte.

Characteristics of a term a name –nouns –noun phrases unit of thought or understanding used in a specialized area of knowledge or activity

Simple terms, complex terms fern vascular plant forest canopy –How do we distinguish between terms and other, discursive noun phrases?

Cf. Le Pavel Termes simples par dérivation : budgétiser; disquette Termes simples par composition :télétravail (travail à distance); cybermarchand (vendeur sur Internet) Termes simples par télescopage : logithèque (bibliothèque de logiciels) Termes simples par acronymie : maser (Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) Termes simples par siglaison : ZLEA (Zone de libre-échange des Amériques); SRAS (syndrome respiratoire aigu sévère) Termes complexes par jonction –zéro-tolérance; e-formation (formation en ligne) Termes complexes par juxtaposition –édition électronique; pollution par le bruit, université virtuelle – f.html

Criteria for distinguishing terms semantic : the term refers to a single concept quantitative : frequency in similar sorts of texts taxonomic : part of a hierarchical classification synonymic : synonym of a recognized term neological: name for a new concept in the field typographical: use of inverted commas, italics, etc. - Cours 5 : Introduction à la terminologie, L’Unité terminologique: le découpage des termes complexes

Role of the expert A term [is a] –specialised concept –used in a specialised field by experts/specialists –Experts can define the term/concept –Experts can relate the term with other terms of the field –Thus giving insight into the knowledge structure

Some term candidates vascular plant leafy plant flowering plant adult plant fern conifer

Hyperonyms & hyponyms vascular plant fernconifer flowering plant distinguishing feature ?

Essential feature What distinguishes ferns, conifers, and flowering plants? –Their mode of reproduction Spores Cones Flowers/pollen… Do all flowering plants have leaves? Do all ferns have leaves? - non essential feature?

Another term candidate Mesozoic or Mesozoic era ? –Cenozoic era –Mesozoic era –Paleozoic era

taxonomies closed lists of terms are called nomenclatures arranged hierarchically, they are called taxonomies –The Mesozoic era is further divided into the Triassic period Jurassic period Cretacious period

Botanical taxonomy Phleum pratense is – a plant, member of a kingdom (Plantae) – of a class (Liliopsida) – of a family (Poaceae) – of a genus (Phleum) - of a species (pratense)

Language markers in taxonomies Botanical families are characterised by the –ceae suffix –in French –cée, as in poacée - The equivalent for families in zoology is -ideae –Many taxonomies incorporate features of the hierarchy into the morphology, as is the case with the suffixes used in natural history.