Variations in Terminology. Application to the Management of Risks Related to Language Use in the Workplace
Résumé
Taking into account variation in terminology is fairly recent. The interest for this issue appeared with textual terminology, fifteen years ago. This new approach to terminology could be a way of improving the management of risk related to language use in the workplace and to contribute to the definition of a "linguistics of the workplace". Linguistics (as a scientific field) is hardly present in the workplace; nevertheless two types of linguistic studies may be identified: sociolinguistics and Natural Language Processes (NLP). The two have to deal with lexical phenomena, -i.e. terminology- sociolinguistics taking into account very subtle inter-individual variations and NLP, more interested by stability in the use. So, taking into account variations in building terminologies could be a means to consider both description and prescription, use and norm. This approach to terminology, which has been made possible thanks to NLP and Knowledge Engineering contributions could be a way of meeting needs in the workplace concerning the management of risk related to language use.