Contextual variation of polysemantic terms

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CONTEXTUAL VARIATION OF POLYSEMANTIC TERMS

Sidelnikova Ekaterina Alekseevna

The phenomenon of polysemy can be found in any living language. It gives vividness and flexibility to speech and allows one to express all the subtle shades of thought. But the situation is different in the style of the language of science and technology. It abounds in special terminology. The main requirement it should meet is an extreme accuracy of thought expression, without a possibility of different interpretations.

As a member of a terminological system any term is expected to possess only one fixed meaning. An ideal term should be monosemantic and, when used within its own sphere, it does not depend upon the micro-context.

Most of scientists consider Їterm? as a word or word-group, denoting special notions in the definite sphere of knowledge or professional activity [1, c. 34; 2, c. 209; 3, c. 63; 4, c. 110; 6, c. 359]. But translational and lexicographic practice shows that many of them are used in different spheres of science and life and have more than one meaning. An important feature of the modern stage of scientific and technical progress is in the mutual penetration of special terminology from one sphere of knowledge into others. That is why great attention is paid to the controversial problem of polysemy in English terminology which the present research deals with.

One of the most important Їdrawbacks? of polysemantic words is that there is sometimes a chance of misunderstanding when a word is used in a certain meaning but accepted by a listener or a reader in another [5; 7]. ЇGenerally speaking, it is common knowledge that context is a powerful preventative against any misunderstanding of meanings? [1, c. 139]. Each individual meaning of the word can be determined by a context, the minimal stretch of speech. This is not to imply that polysemantic words have meanings only in context. The semantic structure of the word has an objective existence as a dialectical entity which embodies dialectical permanency and variability. Context individualizes the meanings, brings them out.

The meaning or meanings representative of the semantic structure of the word and least dependent on context are usually described as free or denominative meanings. The meaning or meanings of polysemantic words observed only in certain contexts may be viewed as determined either by linguistic (or verbal) contexts or extralinguistic (non-verbal) contexts.

The two more or less universally recognized main types of linguistic contexts which serve to determine individual meanings of words are the lexical context and the grammatical context. These types are differentiated depending on whether the lexical or the grammatical aspect is predominant in determining the meaning.

In lexical contexts of primary importance are the groups of lexical items combined with the polysemantic word under consideration. The meanings determined by lexical contexts are sometimes referred to as lexically (or phraseologically) bound meanings which imply that such meanings are to be bound only in certain lexical contexts. For example, the adjective heavy in isolation is understood as meaning Їof great weight, weighty? (heavy load, heavy table, etc.). When combined with the lexical group of words denoting natural phenomena such as wind, storm, snow,etc., it means Їstriking, falling with force, abundant? as can be seen from the contexts: heavy rain, wind, snow, storm, etc. In combination with the words industry, arms, artillery and the like, heavyhas the meaning Їthe larger kind of something? as in heavy industry, heavy artillery,etc. [2, c. 48].

Some linguists go so far as to assert that the word-meaning in general can be analyzed through its collocability with other words. They hold the view that if all the possible collocations (or word-groups) into which a polysemantic word can enter are known, all its meanings are also known [Ibidem].

Dealing with verbal contexts linguists consider only linguistic factors: lexical groups of words, syntactic structure of the context and so on. There are cases when the meaning of the word is ultimately determined not by these linguistic factors, but by the actual speech situation in which this word is used. It is of interest to note that not only the denotational but also the connotational component of meaning may be affected by the context. Any word which as a language unit is emotively neutral may in certain contexts acquire emotive implications. For example, compare firein to insure one?s property g inst fireand fire as a call for help [Ibidem, c. 50].

Most English words are polysemantic. The problem of their translation is very important. To translate polysemantic words correctly is necessary, first, to find in a dictionary the required meaning, and then, within the limits of this meaning to find the equivalent corresponding to this context [6, c. 13].

This research work was done on the basis of some texts dealing with technological spheres and their translations made by the author of the very article. They are operating instructions for different machines and tools: high-technology equipment, rotating unions, pumps, power modules, geometry gauges, reduction gears and so on. These texts are highly specialized and require much knowledge or consultations with specialists in this or that field of science. Within the research we used ЇThe electronic dictionary PROMT family 7.0? to translate the terms under consideration [8].

The texts contain a great number of terms. It is quite easy to find Russian equivalents for the terms that are monosemantic. They convey only one concept. But these texts also contain many polysemantic terms. Seventy polysemantic terms were selected from these texts to study such a phenomenon as polysemy in terminology. On the average, each of these terms has four or five meanings. Their meanings refer to different spheres of science, technology and knowledge.

For example, the term “plug” has such meanings reflected in different Russian equivalents:

вилка электрического соединителя, штепсель (telecommunications);

заглушка, штырь (polytechnic term);

пробка, тампон (medicine);

свеча зажигания, клеммная колодка (motor-car construction).

These meanings of the term are different. They refer to different specialities denoting different objects peculiar to a particular sphere. But it should be mentioned that all the meanings of the term have something in common. It is the core of the semantic structure that unites them. In this case it is the common function they fulfill.

Other examples are:

the term Їgear? that has the following meaning: механизм (motor-car construction); шасси (aircraft); редуктор

(chemistry); распределительный щит (power engineering); прибор (medicine); аппаратура (microelectronics);

the term Їpipe?: труба (basic vocabulary); штанкет (cinema); трубопровод (power engineering); трубка, проводящий канал (micro electro technology); канал (information science and computer engineering).

The meanings of the term Їelbow? are of great interest because they developed from each other and began to represent quite different notions: локоть (basic vocabulary); коленчатый патрубок (motor-car construction); колено (chemistry); отвод (metallurgy); изгиб (sea term); прямоугольное колено (Oil and Gas); подлокотник (polytechnic term). All these meanings denote objects that are similar only in their shapes.

It should also be mentioned that the selected polysemantic terms are both simple and compound words. But the number of compound words is smaller than the number of simple ones. Among the seventy terms compounds constitute only nine per cent of the whole number. It proves that the simpler word is, the more meanings it has. Compound terms are set expressions and have strict spheres of usage. They have a constant distribution in texts.

For example, the compound term Їlocking pin? has such meanings: шплинт (aircraft); фиксатор (building); стопорный штифт (metallurgy). Another example is the term Їrolling bearing?: подшипник качения (chemistry); роликоподшипник (mechanical engineering).

Practically every term has one meaning in the basic vocabulary. That is why this sphere is most frequently marked in this research work - 39 times. It is quite natural that under the circumstances numerous terms pass into general usage without losing connection with their specific fields. Terms are not separated from the rest of the vocabulary, and it is rather hard to say where the line between them should be drawn. With the development and growth of civilisation many special notions become known to the layman and form part and parcel of everyday speech.

For example, the terms “he d”, “box”, ”dr ft” have not only common meanings Їголова,? Їящик?, Їсквозняк? but also specialized meanings Їнапор?, Їстержневой ящик, муфта?, Їтяга, вытяжка? correspondingly.

Other frequently occurring spheres of the use of terms under consideration include:

chemistry - 27 terms: fin - ребро, needle - игольчатый кристалл, hole - пора, seal - затвор, wafer - пластинка, etc.;

power engineering (27): vent - вентиляционное отверстие, lapping - соединение в нахлестку, box - кожух, etc.;

motor-car construction (25): torsion - кручение, plug - свеча зажигания, etc.;

poly (20): union - соединение, substrate - подложка, cowl - колпак, etc.;

building (17): pole - веха, box - втулка, priming - грунтование, etc.;

microelectronics (16): switch - коммутатор, power - возможность, etc.;

aircraft (15): gear - шасси, terminal box - соединительная коробка, etc.;

medicine (15): dowel - опорный штифт, assembly - блок, tool - метод, etc.; - oil industry (13): pole - штанга ударного бурения, gauge - манометр, etc.; - metallurgy (10): plate - толстая листовая сталь, draft - обжатие, тяга, etc.

There are some fields of knowledge that are rarely marked in comparison with the others within the number of the selected terms. These fields are not characteristic of this kind of texts. They do not share traits with the peculiar spheres of these texts:

in trade Їbull? means Їспекулянт, играющий на повышение?; in religion - Їбулла?; - Їpit? includes many meanings of various spheres. In banking it means Їбрижевая яма?.

Some terms are simultaneously used in different spheres. New terminological meanings also appear as a result of expansion of the application sphere, i.e. when terms of one science branch develop new meanings and pass over to other branches. That is why at first sight they denote different objects and phenomena typical of the definite sphere. In fact, they have much in common; their meanings do not seem to be very remote. The spheres such terms are used in can have common notions; they can use similar tools, methods, etc. The spheres that are close to each other are reflected in various meanings of one and the same term.

For example, the term Їseal? has such meanings as: самоблокировка (household chemical goods); изоляция (motor-car construction); уплотнение (aircraft); затвор (chemistry). Meanings from the spheres of motor-car construction and aircraft are very close because the objects they denote fulfill similar functions. Besides, these two spheres are very similar. They both refer to one big sphere, the sphere of transport.

Within these seventy terms the following spheres frequently occur by virtue of collocability of meanings:

microelectronics and power engineering: Їpin? - Їштырьковый вывод? and Їкнотактный штырь?; Їnuit? - Їэлемент? and Їблок?; Їwsitch? - Їкоммутатор? and Їепреключатель?;

chemistry and oil industry: Їnuion? - Їобъединение? and Їзамок, муфта?; Їimpeller? - Їтурбинная мешалка? and Ївертушка?; Їrpiming? - Їзаправка? and Їрпокачка?;

motor-car construction and aircraft: Їevnt? - Їотверстие? and Ївыпуск?; Їegar? - Їшестерня? and Їшасси?; Їifn? - Їпластина? and Їстабилизатор?;

power engineering and information science: Їuhm? - Їфон? and Їпомеха от источника промышленной частоты?; Їdrive? - Їрпивод? and Їдиск?.

The usage of one and the same term within the framework of one field of science or knowledge with different meanings presents special interest. It happens very often that a term develops new meaning and begins to denote a new object or phenomenon without losing its previous meanings.

For example, Їdam? has two meanings in one and the same sphere - chemistry: Їопрог?, Їперегородка?; the meanings of the term Їchuck? Їкруглый дорн? and Їдежравка? also refer to chemistry; Їplate? has two meanings in microelectrotechnics - Їлпата? and Їфотошаблон?.

In the present paper broad linguistic context was taken into account while working with the texts under analysis from technological spheres. As the texts from, which these terms were selected, concern technology and different equipment used in industry, it was necessary to consider and choose meanings of the terms from the corresponding spheres.

For example, the term Їlead? has the following meanings: лидерство (basic vocabulary); свинец (chemistry); главная роль (cinema); соединительные провода (power engineering); вывод (microelectronics); длина хода поршня (oil industry); проводник (physics). But only one meaning must be taken according to the specific meanings of the words in bold type. This meaning is Їсоединительные провода?:

When Power supply is provided by single phase: Check the Motor of Power that Power is provided by three phase safely. If wiring is no problem, check the lead[9, p. 42]. - Когда подача электричества происходит в однофазном режиме: Проверьте двигатель, убедитесь в том, что электричество подается в трехфазном режиме. Если с проводкой нет проблем, проверьте соединительные провода.

ЇPlug? has such meanings as: вилка электрического соединителя, штепсель (telecommunications); заглушка, штырь (polytechnic term); пробка, тампон (medicine); свеча зажигания, клеммная колодка (motor-car construction). On the basis of knowledge of the described equipment (high-technology equipment) and its application the only suitable meaning in the following sentence is Їзаглушка?:

Lock up the drain holes always with flush mounted plugs [9, p. 45].

Therefore, the author of the given article translated the sentence as:

Всегда блокируйте сливные отверстияустанавливаемыми заподлицо заглушками.

A great number of meanings of the selected terms belong to different fields of science and technology. Forty spheres of knowledge in which these terms have their meanings have been pointed out. Many terms has one meaning in the basic vocabulary. This sphere is most frequently marked in this research work - 39 times. Other frequently occurring spheres of the use of terms under consideration are chemistry (27 terms), power engineering (27), motor-car construction (25), and poly (20). So, it is known that a term should not depend on context. But in fact it depends on broad linguistic context and extra-linguistic context.

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