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In:Multiple Perspectives on Terminological Variation
Edited by Patrick Drouin, Aline Francœur, John Humbley and Aurélie Picton
[Terminology and Lexicography Research and Practice 18] 2017
► pp. 155–180

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Chapter 7
Terminological variation and the unsaturability of concepts

 | Institut Universitari de Lingüística Aplicada | Universitat Pompeu Fabra
 | Instituto de Literatura y Ciencias del Lenguaje | Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso
Published online: 24 August 2017
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https://doi.org/10.1075/tlrp.18.07fre
Concepts cannot be saturated; this chapter aims to explore the reasons why the substance of a concept is unlimited. Textual analysis shows that the number of terminological variants used to refer to a concept seem endless. The origin of this diversity can be found in the different perceptions held by specialists, in the variety of text types in which a specialised topic is approached, in the expressive needs of the author, in the different origins and intentions of these authors, or in the different communicative situations where knowledge is developed. However, it is equally interesting to observe how the same concept, without leaving traces in different denominations, acquires a great range of nuances in the different contexts where it appears.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.The concept of saturation in linguistics
  • 3.Unsaturability, concept and variation
    • 3.1The definition of concept
    • 3.2The definition of variation
  • 4.Conceptual variation
    • 4.1Conceptual variation not reflected in denominations
    • 4.2Conceptual variation reflected in denominations
      • 4.2.1Conceptual imprecision
      • 4.2.2Differences in conceptualisation (multidimensionality, perspective, point of view, motivation)
  • 5.Causes and examples of concept unsaturability
    • 5.1Variation as adaptation to audience
    • 5.2Variation as a cognitive mechanism
    • 5.3Variation as a rhetorical device
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
References (66)
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