Abstract |
This paper deals with de-terminologized words, i.e. words that originated in a specialized field of expertise (e.g. computing, medicine), but that have migrated into the vocabulary of the general, educated public. A striking example is virtual, the focus of this paper. First, we analyze the de-terminologized uses of virtual using a framework based on semantic features and influenced by prototype theory. Second, we examine the issues of lexical description that virtual raises for general-language dictionaries. We identify some of the weaknesses of current dictionaries with regard to this word, and make suggestions for improvements. |
BibTex |
@InProceedings{ELX98_2-042, author = {Ingrid Meyer, Krista Varantola, Kristen Mackintosh}, title = {From Virtual Sex to Virtual Dictionaries: On the Analysis and Description of a De-terminologized Word}, pages = {645-654}, booktitle = {Proceedings of the 8th EURALEX International Congress}, year = {1998}, month = {aug}, date = {4-8}, address = {Liège, Belgium}, editor = {Thierry Fontenelle, Philippe Hiligsmann, Archibald Michiels, André Moulin, Siegfried Theissen}, publisher = {Euralex}, isbn = {2-87233-091-7}, } |