New technologies and terminological pressure in lesser-used languages: The Breton Wikipedia, from terminology consumer to potential terminology provider

Taking the impact of the Wikipedia on the Breton language as a case in point, whilst highlighting the huge potential benefits that new technologies have to offer to economically less viable languages as a whole, this article discusses the way internet-based systems can have an impact on the terminological pressure exerted on such languages in many specialised areas. The article goes on to analyse possible conflict resolution mechanisms for competing terminological strategies and the relative merits and shortcomings of each. While centred on the specific case of a European “minority” or “lesser used” language, the article shows the extent to which the discussion and findings can also be relevant to the way other equally economically challenged languages around the globe can evolve and develop unfettered, thanks to the use of free-access virtual resources such as Wikipedia.