Classification of dictionaries of terms in special lexicography

Abstract

The article is devoted to one of the recent problems of terminography, which studies terminological dictionaries, deals with the development of principles and bases how to comply terminological lexicons of different types, concerns with their classification, as well as arrangement and unification of national terminology. The problem of classification of terminographic editions is of great importance: it constantly attracts meticulous attention of Ukrainian and foreign linguists, however nowadays there is no any unified set of features for distinguishing dictionaries. Is was specified that modern terminological lexicography requires a classified description of terminological dictionaries of different types. Linguists create typologies, classifications, as well as specific and typological classifications of dictionaries. Schematically, the hierarchy of subordination of special editions can be displayed as it follows: linguistic dictionaries (type) → system dictionaries (subtype) → professional dictionaries (class) → terminological dictionaries (kind) → … (variable kinds). The meaning of the term „typology” is broader than the essence of the concept „classification”. Correspondingly, it is proposed to use the term classification of terminological dictionaries to denote an arranged description of terminographic editions with their division into types, subtypes, classes, and subclasses according to common features and purpose. It is found out that examined reliable typologies and classifications of terminological dictionaries are structured as taxonomic systems based on pragmatic features. They determine the special purpose of dictionaries, divide them according to structural, functional and other features, and establish characteristic features of mega-, macro-, and microstructure of editions. The researched typologies and classifications are not complete, as they focus only on available terminological dictionaries. The necessity of terminological edition classification was proved; it should be noted that possible perspective of variable kinds of special editions for the needs of time and science should be taked into the account, in particular, the “dictionary of the future” – a terminological dictionary of a combined type.