The cognitive dimension Sager, J-C (1990)

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The cognitive dimensionSager, J-C (1990)

• A Practical Course in Terminology Processing,
  Amsterdam/Philadelphia Benjamin.
• notes

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Three dimensions of terminology

• Cognitive form to conceptual content (referents)
• Linguistic representions of concept in language
  (actual or potential)
• Communicative use of terminology, compiling
  terminologies
• Cf Cabrés theory of doors
• www.rifal.org/cahiers/rint21/rint21.pdf?

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Theory, concepts, definitions

• Theory of reference set of principles for
  classifying language items
• by the properties of the concepts they represent
• Necessary to systematize all relevant concepts
  before standardizing
• or consigning to a database

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Models of knowledge

• Multidimensional spaces
• Componential analysis
• Semantic field theory
• Lexical taxonomy

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Subject disciplines

• Knowledge is conventionally divided into subject
  areas
• Overlap
• Relative configuration changes
• According to subspace
• FeCl3 electronics for printed circuit boards
• FeCl3 textile technology mordant

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Theory of concepts

• Aims
• Explanation for cognitive motivation in term
  formation
• Basis for structuring vocabularies/terminologies
• Three tasks
• Account for sets of concepts as entities of
  knowledge structure
• Account for interrelated linguistic entities
  associated with concepts grouped according to
  cognitive principles
• Establish a link between concepts and terms
• definitions

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concept

• Provisional definition
• Constructs of human cognition processes which
  assist in the classification of objects by way of
  systematic or arbitrary abstraction.
• Several standard definitions
• concept left as a primitive
• cf. word, sentence

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characteristics

• Essential characteristics
• Sufficient and necessary characteristics for
  identifying a concept
• Non essential characteristics
• extra, non-defining information
• but these may become essential for creation of
  concepts
• table (horizontal, flat surface, raised above
  ground)
• coffee table (more characteristics needed)

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Attributes of concepts

• Broad concepts
• Few characteristics
• Liquid, animal, vehicle
• Narrow concepts
• Many characteristics
• hovercraft
• Intension of concept
• Sum of characteristics
• Extension of concept
• Range of objects a concept refers to
• characteristic properties of a concept -gt
  relations to other concepts

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Methods for structuring concepts

• Attributed to a class
• Venus (class of planets)
• Grouped into categories by distinctive features
• Animals having four legs (quadrupeds)
• tamed for human use (domestic)
• Differetiated by discrimination between
  categories
• Tables, chairs, cupboards (furniture)
• Interaction of categories at level of function
• Input storage retrieval

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Typology of concepts

• Entities
• Derived by abstraction from material or abstract
  objects
• Activities
• Processes, operations performed with, on..
  entities
• Qualities
• Properties, dispositions, with which we
  differentiate between entities
• Relations
• between the above three categories

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entities
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Structure of concepts

• Classification is most satisfactory for small,
  well-established subjects/subject areas
• Serious problem for term banks
• No consensual method for how to group concepts in
  a system
• Terminology relates terms to concepts (and not
  vice-versa)
• Not concerned with absolute concept systems
• Only with systems designed to facilitate
  communication

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relationships

• Generic
• X is a type of A
• X,Y, Z are types of A
• A has the specific concepts X, Y and Z
• A has the subtype X
• Newletter, Journal, Magazine.
• Not reversable

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Example of generic relationship

• publication
• periodic publication non periodic publication
• news mag journal book
  monograph
• letter

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facets

• The criteria for identifying subordinate concepts
  may vary.
• roller bearings are classified by
• type of rolling bodies
• roller bearings, ball bearings
• by number of rows of rolling bodies along axis of
  bearing
• single-row anti-friction bearings, double row
  anti-friction bearings, multi-row anti-friction
  bearings
• by type of forces
• radical anti-friction bearings radical axe
  antifriction bearings
• multidimensionality

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Partitive relationships

• X is a constituent part of Y
• X,Y and Z are constituent parts of A
• A consists of X
• A consists of X, Y, and Z.
• A wheel is composed of a hub, spokes and a rim
• the concepts hub, spokes, rim constitute the
  parts of the concept wheel.

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Subtypes of partitive relationships

• Parts are atomic constituents of the whole
• Units of a scale, characters of a character set
• Parts are a finite numbered set
• 52 cards of a deck
• Whole consists of groups of numbered and
  unnumbered parts
• Individual values of a deck of cards
• Part is an optional constituent
• Car radio in a car
• Part is a constituent and sometimes the whole
• Page feed (form feed) Form feed is a
  page-breaking ASCII control character. It forces
  the printer to eject the current page and to
  continue printing at the top of another.
• Part are alternative
• Ribbon feed has either a ribbon spool or a
  ribbon roll

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Complex relationships

• Cause effect
• Explosion fallout
• Material product
• Steel - girder
• Material property
• Glass - brittle
• Material state
• Iron - corrosion
• Process product
• Weaving - cloth
• Process instrument
• Incision - scalpel
• Phenomenom meaurement
• Light - Watt
• Object counteragent
• Poison - antidote
• Object container
• Tool tool box

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Divisions using different facets

• By parts
• Inking systems
• Duct adjusting screw, duct blade, ink drum
• By process
• Printing
• Intaglio printing, planographic printing, porous
  printing
• By method
• Intaglio printing
• Photogravure, steel-engraving
• By function
• Aircraft
• Passenger aircraft, freight aircraft, military
  aircraft

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Subject classification

• Bottom up
• Builds on individual concepts
• Top down
• Divides knowledge into subsets
• Documentary classification systems
• Universal Decimal Classification
• Dewey Decimal Classification
• Complementary nature of classification systems
  and terminology work
• According to area covered more suitable for
  concrete areas

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Limits to classification in terminology

• Subject classification can provide a broad
  outline structure for terminology collection.
• Classifications are a useful starting point, but
  beyond this they need to be supplemented by a
  more complex set of relations
• Sager 1990 39

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definitions

• Definitions provide link between concepts and
  terms
• equation, term definiendum
• identification of the concept
• only with reference to its conceptual system
• classifies the concept within that system
• difference between this necessary and sufficient
  definition in terminology
• and other definitions (language, encyclopaedic)

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Stiplulative definitions

• Terminological definition
• Accepted specialised meaning
• Established through documentation
• Stipulative definitions
• Redisignation in discourse
• Cf. legal documents

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Types of definition

• Analysis (genus differentia)
• Pneumonia inflammation of the lung tissue
• Synonyms
• Daisy bellis perennis
• Paraphrase
• Whiteness state of being white
• Synthesis
• Metatarsalgia painful neuralgic condition of
  the foot,felt in the ball of the foot and oftern
  spreading thence up the leg
• Implication
• Diagnosis we make a diagnosis when we identify
  certain symptoms as characteristics of specific
  conditions
• Denotation
• Dog dogs are spaniels, poodles, pekinese,
  alsatian and similar animals
• Demonstration
• Drawings, photographs

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Purposes of definitions

• Initial fixation of term-concept equation
• Identification of a term via verification of the
  existence of an independent definition
• Explanation of the meaning of a concept for
  specialist users such as translators, subject
  specialists

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Functional type of definition

• Placing term in its position in the knowledge
  structure
• Understanding of intension from knowledge of
  other related terms
• Fixing specialised meaning
• Specialists determining precise reference of a
  term
• Sufficiently flexible to account for varying
• Sufficiently rigid for taxonomies
• Giving the non-specialist some degree of
  understanding
• Other than terminological definitions given