Cognitive and Functional Potential of Linguistic Terms-Coreferents

Abstract

In the article the problem of coreference of terms nominated the common linguistic concept in the correlation with the problem of optimization (ordering) the Ukrainian terminological linguistic system is considered. The cognitive and functional potential of Ukrainian linguistic terms-coreferents is investigated in a broad Slavic background by the materials of Bibliographic Database of World Slavic Linguistics Publications iSybislaw – bibliographic information retrieval system which Institute of Ukrainian Language at NAS of Ukraine creates in coordination with the Institute of Slavic Studies of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The scale of equivalence for terms-coreferents within the same and different languages is determined. Types of equivalence of linguistic terms are considered by the examples of individual terms as well as by their various oppositions. The variant of term is interpreted broadly – as the existence of different terms with different forms, but with a common object of nomination. Our narrow understanding of variants consider as the presence of the same terms with the partial changes in their forms, eg.: спрощення – опрощення. The linguistic terms- coreferents different in content and the type of formal structure are organized in such oppositions: 1) modern and old variants from the point of view of the language standard: зіяння – зяяння; 2) codified terms and author’s innovations: модальне слово – модальник; 3) contemporary and outdated terms: іменник – речівник; 4) own and foreign terms: милозвучність – евфонія; 5) synthetic (one- word) and analytic (combination of words) terms: наказовий спосіб – імператив. Often such binary oppositions may be combined, reflecting the wide range of changes in the form of the terms in modern Ukrainian scientific and educational practice and the historical perspective of the development of Ukrainian linguistic terminological system, eg.: орудний відмінок – інструменталь – знаряддєвик, інфінітив – неозначена форма дієслова – дієйменник or дієслово – глагол – часівник – слово часове – часослово. The terms-coreferents present the real picture of verbalization the certain linguistic concepts in Ukrainian language. Groups of terms-coreferents enable optimization of the search of information in the database Isybislaw without changing the structure of its information retrieval language. However, the completeness of such groups is important as the manifestation of amplitude of possible modifications of the nomination of certain concepts in modern Ukrainian linguistics. Coordination of keyword’s list for Ukrainian language with the texts in the database will help organize terms within certain coreferent groups by decreasing of their cognitive and functional potential in the modern Ukrainian linguistic practice.