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Article published In:
Terminology
Vol. 27:2 (2021) ► pp.322–343

How can one explain “deviant” linguistic functioning in terminology?

ORCID logo | Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie (CLLE) | CNRS | University of Toulouse 2 Jean Jaurès

This article looks at so-called “deviant” functioning in terminology. The notion of deviancy seems to be situated in relation to a “neutral” functioning of the language, which does not take any particular communication situation into account. The article aims to show that this supposed deviancy has to be related to the communication situation itself, which, in the present case, implies specialised knowledge. Rather than just being deviancies, it is argued that these linguistic formulations are a tangible manifestation of the specificity of the communication situation. Three types of explanation are put forward for their use: linguistic (linguistic prolixity and linguistic economy), sociolinguistic, and cognitive. Each type is exemplified by various studies.

Keywords: cognitive approach, deviancy, discourse community, emotion, experience, specialised discourse
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Linguistic deviancy in specialised contexts
    • 2.1Major studies on deviancies in LSPs
    • 2.2Sociolinguistic aspects of deviancies in LSPs
    • 2.3The role and implications of jargon
  • 3.Corpus studies of lexical deviances in specialised languages
    • 3.1Deviances explained by linguistic factors
      • 3.1.1Linguistic prolixity
      • 3.1.2Linguistic economy
      • 3.1.3The case of nominalizations
  • 4.Deviancies related to cognitive factors
  • 5.Conclusion
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 22 February 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/term.20029.con
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