course 6 termino_definition

8/13/2019 Course 6 Termino_Definition

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Course 6

DEFINITION IN TERMINOLOGY


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Definition in terminology

Definition is a problem in just about any

field or activity that requires it. Why?

- subject of theoretical interest among

philosophers - logicians, mathematicians,lexicographers, thesaurus-makers, etc.

Philosophers have debated whether meaning

has to with the thing or with the word for thething.


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Definition :

A dictionary-style statement that describes

the concept designated by a term.

Its role:

states the essential and delimiting characteristics

of a concept.

=>

helps establish the textual match between

languages


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Definition

=> form: a statement

=> connectstwo entities: The concept

The term ( = the designation of the concept)


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Form: term IS A description of concept

Definiendum= Definiens

DEFINITION

The conceptbelongs to..?

The termbelongs to ...?=> the two are (supposed to be)

interchangeable in all contexts


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We already know that a termis a

a word (simple term), multiword expression

(complex term), symbol or formula that designates

a particular concept within a given subject field.

But a conceptis.?

A unit of knowledge abstracted from a set ofcharacteristics or properties attributed to a class

of objects, relations, or entities.


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.

CONCEPT

Characteristic 1

Characteristic 2Characteristic 3

Char. 4

Characteristic 5

Characteristic 6Characteristic n


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Functions of definition:

fixation of a concept (typically during first concept

term assignment)

explanation of a concept relating concepts (either for differentiation or

similarity)


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.

water

Boiling point100CMelting point 0C

Colourless, tasteless,

odourless

Acidity(pKa) =

15.74Basicity(pKb) = 15.74 Molecular formulaH2O

Water takes

many different

forms on Earth:

water vaporandcloudsin the

sky; seawater

and rarely

icebergsin the

ocean; glaciers

and riversin the

mountains;

liquid precipitationrain

freezing rain

drizzle

freezing drizzle

dew
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_dissociation_constanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_dissociation_constanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_formulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_formulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_vaporhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloudshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawaterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceberghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drizzlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dewhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drizzlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountainhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glacierhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceberghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seawaterhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloudshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_vaporhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_formulahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_dissociation_constanthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_dissociation_constant


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WATER

Wateris a chemical substance with the chemicalformula H2O. Its molecule contains one oxygen and twohydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water isa liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists onEarth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state, water

vapor or steam.Water covers 70.9% of the Earth's surface, and is

vital for all known forms of life. On Earth, it is foundmostly in oceans and other large water bodies, with1.6% of water below ground in aquifers and 0.001% in

the air as vapor, clouds (formed of solid and liquid waterparticles suspended in air), and precipitation. Oceanshold 97% of surface water, glaciers and polar ice caps2.4%, and other land surface water such as rivers, lakesand ponds 0.6%. A very small amount of the Earth'swater is contained within biological bodies andmanufactured products.


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WATER

Water on Earth moves continually through a cycle of evaporation or

transpiration (evapotranspiration), precipitation, and runoff, usually

reaching the sea. Over land, evaporation and transpiration contribute to

the precipitation over land.

Clean drinking water is essential to human and other life forms.

Access to safe drinking water has improved steadily and substantiallyover the last decades in almost every part of the world. There is a clear

correlation between access to safe water and GDP per capita.

However, some observers have estimated that by 2025 more than half

of the world population will be facing water-based vulnerability. A recent

report suggests that by 2030, in some developing regions of the world,water demand will exceed supply by 50%. Water plays an important

role in the world economy, as it functions as a solvent for a wide variety

of chemical substances and facilitates industrial cooling and

transportation. Approximately 70% of freshwater is consumed by

agriculture. (Wikipedia)


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WATER

Religion

Water is considered a purifier in most religions. Major faiths

that incorporate ritual washing (ablution) include

Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Rastafari movement, Shinto,

Taoism, Judaism, and Wicca. Immersion (or aspersion oraffusion) of a person in water is a central sacrament of

Christianity (where it is called baptism); it is also a part of

the practice of other religions, including Judaism (mikvah)

and Sikhism (Amrit Sanskar). In addition, a ritual bath inpure water is performed for the dead in many religions

including Judaism and Islam. In Islam, the five daily prayers

can be done in most cases (see Tayammum) after

completing washing certain parts of the body using clean

water (wudu).


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WATER

PhilosophyThe Ancient Greek philosopher Empedocles held that water is one of

the four classical elements along with fire, earth and air, and as

regarded as the ylem, or basic substance of the universe. Water was

considered cold and moist. In the theory of the four bodily umors, water

was associated with phlegm. The classical element of Water was alsoone of the five elements in traditional Chinese philosophy, along with

earth, fire, wood, and metal. Water is also taken as a role model in

some parts of traditional and popular Asian philosophy.


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WATER

Literature

Water is used in literature as a symbol of purification.

Examples include the critical importance of a river inAs I

Lay Dyingby William Faulkner and the drowning of Ophelia

in Hamlet.


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Define the following:

on

can

dog

pencil

definition

What problems do you face?


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Define PENCIL


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Define:pencil

Made of a long thin wood casing + long, thin piece

of graphite

The graphite core is black The casing is yellow

The casing is made of birch wood

At one end there is an eraser;

At the other end, the graphite and casing have beensharpened to a point;

It is used for writing or making marks


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object= features

concept= characteristics

Not all semantic features identifying a concept in selected

documents are needed in order to create a definition for thatconcept. Essentialfeatures are intrinsicto that concept, in

the sense that they distinguish it from another and their

absence makes it indistinguishable from another. The

necessary and sufficient characteristics of a concept, which

enable us to distinguish it from all other concepts, are referredto as essential." (DUBUC/KENNEDY 1997:39)

term


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Types of definition depend on:

the nature of the concept to be defined

the purpose of the definition

the information available

the requirements of the user


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Establishing characteristics (essential / non-

essential) = Establishing relations between

characteristics

Types of hierarchical relations among concepts Generic-specific hierarchies (In generic-specific

relationships, the characteristics of superordinate concepts

(broader concepts) are inherited by subordinate concepts

(narrower concepts).

Partitive hierarchies (part-whole) (In a partitive

relationship, there is no inheritance of characteristics

between the whole and its parts.


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Define : dog


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Kingdom

Subkingdom

Superdivision

DivisionSubdivision

Class

Subclass

OrderFamily

Genus


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Define: Yucca

Kingdom PlantaePlants

Subkingdom TracheobiontaVascular plants

Superdivision SpermatophytaSeed plants

Division MagnoliophytaFlowering plantsClass LiliopsidaMonocotyledons

Subclass Liliidae

Order Liliales

Family AgavaceaeCentury-plant family

Genus HesperaloeEngelm.false yuccaSpecies Hesperaloeparvifloraredflower

false yucca

Variety HesperaloeparvifloraEngelmann's yucca
http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Plantaehttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Tracheobiontahttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Spermatophytahttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Magnoliophytahttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Liliopsidahttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Liliidaehttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Lilialeshttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Agavaceaehttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HESPEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HESPEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPA8http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPA8http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPA8http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPAEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPAEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPAEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPAEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPAEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPAEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPA8http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPA8http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HEPA8http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HESPEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HESPEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=HESPEhttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Agavaceaehttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Lilialeshttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Liliidaehttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Liliopsidahttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Magnoliophytahttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Spermatophytahttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Tracheobiontahttp://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=display&classid=Plantae


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Definition by genus p roximus & di f ferent ia

(the next higher super ordinate concept and

the specific distinguishing element)

Also called analytical / Aristotelian definition

Suitable to define nouns

Analyzes their characteristics


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Types of definitions:

Lexicographic vs. encyclopedic~

terminographic

Linguisticvs. ontologicalvs. terminological(Cabre, 1999:104)

Definition by extensionvs. definition by

intension

Other types: by synonymy, by exemplification,

ostensive, functional, by paraphrase, stipulative

etc. (see www.termium.gc.ca/didacticiel)
http://www.termium.gc.ca/didacticielhttp://www.termium.gc.ca/didacticiel


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Example of definition by extension:

expenses include costs, charges and

necessary outlays of every description; notice

includes a demand, consent or waiver. (in legaltexts - contracts)

Example of definition by intension:

business day means a day on which banks

and foreign exchange markets are open for

business in London and New York.


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Lexicographic definition


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Encyclopedic definition


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(1) Taxonomical information (genus proximum)

(2) Categorial/type information (e.g. sub-types)

(3) Genetic-causal information (how it comes about)

(4) Essential material properties (5) Other material properties

(6) Functional information (what it is used for)

(7) Dimension (e.g. weight, speed, length) (8) Word explanation

(9)


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TEST

Do all the objects X designated by the term belong to the

class Y designated by the hypernym and do they have

those characteristics?

Are all the objects of the class Y with that set of

characteristics X-s?


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Exercise: Which characteristics of the above

to include in a definition (ofpencil, for ex.)?

Assuming you have data for (2), (4), (5), (6),

(7), (8), and you are asked to write a one-sentence definition making use of only three

of these facets. Which would you choose?

Why?


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Non-Hierarchical Relationships (AssociativeNetworks)

In associative relationships, concepts are linked byspatial or temporal proximity and may share non-

essential features. Such relationships include thefollowing types: producer-product: bake - bread

action-result:presidential election - president elect

action-tool: hammering - hammer container-contents: bottle - fruit juice

cause-effect: humidity - mould

opposites: winner - loser


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Best practices for definitions:

Mind your defining vocabulary/entailed terms (the language

should not be (unnecessarily) obscure :

Mind definitional views: develop a concept system

Front the definiendumand use a definitor or link to equate

definiendumto definiens(X is a Y; X includesA + B)

the definiendumshould be expressed by the same part of

speech as the definiens

The definition of the concept should not contradict otherdefinitions in the same concept system / field


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Worst practices for definition (1):

circularity: using a concept (C1) while defining another

(C2), when the definition of C2 involves use of C1

Example:

textile: a type of fabric that is woven

fabric: a type of textile (cf. ISO 1995)

tautology: using several parts of the definiendum in the

definiens

Example: un i fo rm movement: movement that occurs uniformly (cf. ISO

1995)


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Worst practices in terminology (2):

negation: defining by specifying what is absent

Example:

Health is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity (Note

WHOs definition, which is acceptable: Health is a state of

complete physical, mental and social well-being and not not

merely the absence of disease or infirmity)

incompleteness: insufficient statement of characteristics

Influenza is a viral infection(no differentiating

characteristics? There are so many viral infections)

multiple definitions: explaining more than one term in a

definition


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Exercise 1: Here are some definitions ofmedical concepts from THE MERCKMANUAL (1997). Which ones fit the above

recommendation and which do not? Why? 1. Influenza (flu) is a viral infection that

causes a fever, runny nose, cough,headache, a feeling of illness (malaise),

and inflammation of the lining of the noseand airways.


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2. Somatoform disorders is a relativelynew term for what many people refer toas psychosomatic disorder. In

somatoform disorders, either the physicalsymptoms or their severity and durationcant be explained by any underlyingphysical disease. Somatoform disordersinclude somatization disorder, conversiondisorder, and hypochondriasis.


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3. An intracranial hemorrhage is bleedinginside the skull.

4. The termpsychosomatic disorder has no

precise definition. Most often, the term isapplied to physical disorders thought to becaused by psychological factors. However,no physical disorder is caused exclusively by

psychological factors. Rather, a physicaldisorder has a necessary biologic componenta factor essential for the disease to occur.


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5. Paraneoplastic syndromes are the remote

effects of cancer (most commonly lung and

ovarian cancer) on many different functions

of the body, often those of the nervoussystem.

6. Shy-Drager syndrome is a disorder of

unknown cause in which many parts of thenervous system degenerate.


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Exercise 2:

Consider a term (of you own choiceI suggest

diabetes orinflation)

Find 4 different sites and copy-paste thedefinitions:

analyse and say what kind of definitions they are

according to the criteria given

list and then analyse the characteristics of the

concept encoded in the definitionhow / why do

they differ?


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DEFINIENDUM DEFINITOR DEFINIENS

Genus Distinguishing

characteristics

course 6 termino_definition

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