Book review: Sergei Shelov. An essay on the theory of terminology: composition, conceptual organization, practical applications

Abstract

The text of the review on S. D. Shelov’s scientific monograph “An Essay on the Theory of Terminology: Composition, Conceptual Organization, Practical Applications” is organized in accordance with the structure of the monograph itself and aims to trace the setting and the solution of the problems, ideas, and hypotheses put forward by the author. The review examines the contents of all the monograph’s sections (three parts, nine chapters and five supplements), analyzes and comments on the results of the author’s research at every stage, and emphasizes the author’s unique approaches. Thus, the author suggests his own vision of such term parameters as accuracy and inaccuracy, clarity and vagueness, definiteness and lack of definition, normality, polymorphism, ambiguity, vagueness terminological variability, terminological synonymy and terminological dimorphism. Conceptually important statements, debating points, as well as scientific theoretical and applied problems awaiting a solution are described in detail and quoted. Such problems include, for example, the idea of the regular and the irregular polysemy transfer from general vocabulary to the terminological units. The review pays special attention to the author’s definitions of such basic categories as term studies, term, term variability, term motivation and terminological field. Specific attention is given to the author’s style– the logic of arguing, the modality of the narration, and the hierarchy construction of the contemporary issues of the term theory. The general assessment of the significance of the peer-reviewed research in domestic term studies is provided in the conclusion.