Abstract
This paper addresses the question of the protean nature of ‘ontology’, with special attention paid to its use within the domain of terminology theories and applications. This term is widely used nowadays within various disciplines for designating different types of organising relational frameworks. Yet, its designations remain unvaried and, in this way, it causes ambiguity. The multifaceted nature of the so-called ‘ontology’ hinders the possibility of providing an unambiguous definition. This is mainly due to the multi- and interdisciplinary dimension of this notion, which is outlined here through an overview of its application within philosophy, information science, and linguistic disciplines.The reference model of ontology that is applied nowadays in various disciplines corresponds to an object, or more precisely, to various types of objects which are all based on a relational framework, and are used for organising different types of knowledge units. This view differs from the original value of ontology that was shaped within philosophy as a purely theoretical model, a global and universally-valid abstract classification of reality. Therefore, it seems appropriate that this term should acquire greater precision especially when it is used within the domain of terminology.
Highlights
The issue at stake in this paper is ‘ontology’ intended as a framework that can enhance the definition of conceptual, linguistic, and referential units by outlining their hierarchical relations
The nature of the units organised in an ontology can vary, depending on both the background theory and the specific tasks it is used to undertake in terminology studies
The reading given in the present study focuses on ontology as an object rather than a theory, while considering that whatever type of artefact one takes into account it is still the outcome of a specificlogical theory
Summary
The issue at stake in this paper is ‘ontology’ intended as a framework that can enhance the definition of conceptual, linguistic, and referential units by outlining their hierarchical relations. RTOs are the outcome of the Terminologie et Intelligence Artificielle (TIA) group that, since the early 1990’s has conducted an interdisciplinary research activity where the methods and applications of linguistics, knowledge engineering, natural language processing, and information sciences meet in order to build RTOs. A few decades ago Wüster underlined the connection between terminology and other disciplines, among which were mentioned informatics and ontology.
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