Multiple Perspectives on Terminological Variation

The aim of the present volume is to provide a present-day take on variation in terminology by looking forward and examining what leading scholars in the field are working on and where they are taking research in the field today.

This reader is built around three themes arranged according to complementary points of view to stimulate thought on the subject of variation as it is approached today. The first theme, “The social dimension of variation”, includes three contributions dealing with variation across different categories of speakers. This reflects not only the expert/layperson dichotomy but also other more original polarities as the emotional dimension and the issue of diastratic variation across LSPs. The second part of this reader puts forward different tools and methods to identify, describe and manage term variation. The third theme of this reader questions semantics of term variation through the topics of concept saturation, multidimensionality and metaphor.

Variation, through this picture of current studies, proves to be the touchstone for the understanding of the major issues of terminology research today. The included papers draw on research in terminology carried out in different language communities - Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch in particular - thereby opening up a window on much of the research carried out in these cultural areas.