Challenges for Latvian terminology in a multilingual society

Abstract

Summary This paper discusses challenges Latvian terminology has to encounter at the beginning of the new millennium and the ways of resolving these problems. As Latvian was proclaimed a state language in 1988 by the State Language Law, it had to face several challenges. First, Latvian terminology had to be established to serve Latvian as state language. Second, all specific subject fields had to be provided with proper terms in Latvian. This necessity required a rather quick term coining in every area of everyday life: juridical, economic, social, medical, technological, cultural and other fields. During the last two decades more than 60 dictionaries containing the terminology of different domains have been published and voluminous databases have been created. After joining the European Union Latvian acquired the same rights and obligations as other EU languages possess. The EU juridical documentation, regulations, instructions and guidelines need Latvian equivalents, new terms had to be coined at a high speed. For creating terms of new concepts we can use words of the national language, coin new words or borrow some terms of other languages; E. Drezen, Latvian terminologist and interlinguist had postulated that terms of national languages are often better perceptible than borrowings from other languages. The last but not the least challenge is finding agreement about methods and algorithms for data exchange; the main goal is to provide the common user with the necessary information about a needed concept and to enhance effective professional communication. Experience from developing explanatory term dictionaries and ways of extended data exchange is considered.