Processing word combinations in existing term banks

Word combinations (phraseological units, collocations, etc.) pose practical as well as theoretical problems in terminology and in linguistics in general. This paper examines how specific word combinations can be stored in computerized reference tools. The focus is on word lexical groups in special languages and their representation for translation purposes. Two scenarios concerning verb + noun combinations are analyzed. The first scenario consists of assigning a specific database to word groups. The second describes the implementation of an interface between a verbal database and existing mono referential databases (term banks) using hierarchical conceptual relationships.