Os desafios teórico-práticos da definição terminológica

Abstract

The objective of this article is to discuss some challenges that may arise during the elaboration of definitions in terminological studies. These challenges are mainly related to traditional theoretical proposals. The terms and concepts that will illustrate this discussion are from the field of Astronomy, a science that relies more and more on technological advances to boost its research and discoveries, which often leads to the revision of some concepts. For this reason, in the empirical dimension, some challenges in the conceptual sphere are specific to this area of knowledge but, to a large extent, they are common to all specialty languages. Theoretical assumptions are based on studies by Cabré, (1993), Sager (1993), Finatto (2002), Bédard (2009) and Barité (2017) and expose the main conceptions on the terminological definition. The methodology followed the steps proposed by research in Terminology: collection of the corpus and treatment by the specific software, semi-automatic extraction of term candidates, validation of terms, creation of the conceptual system and elaboration of definitions. The analysis of the terms Milky Way, ring, planet and dwarf planet, through a descriptive perspective, demonstrates the two main trends of studies on definitions in Terminology: the conceptual scope that goes beyond the classic binary categorization “gender and differences” and the recognition of subjective, cultural and discursive interference in terminological definitions.