POLYSEMY IN THE TERMINOLOGICAL SYSTEM OF THE GERMAN PROFESSIONAL LANGUAGE OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION

Abstract

The article highlights main aspects of paradigmatic (polysemic) relations on the basis of the terminological system of the German professional language of architecture and construction. Using complex techniques of a structural method, a group of polysemant terms of the German professional language of architecture and construction is distinguished, the nature of polysemic relations in the studied terminological system is outlined, and the etymological status of proposed polysemants and their morphological indicators are established. The comprehensive analysis of GLSPAC polysemants showed that out of about 35,000 terms, 1,343 terms are polysemic and belong to different types of polysemy (intra-industry, inter-industry and external industry) based on the transfer of names by similarity, function and contiguity. The most common catalysts for the emergence of polysemy in the GLSPAC are metaphorical and functional transfer of the name. The study presents typical metonymic models of polysemy in the GLSPAC terminology: action – process – result, (final) stage – result, process – result, building structure – material, part – whole, property – object, founder's name – subject. The proposed terminology is characterized by an area of active polysemy (971 terms have 2 meanings, 372 terminological units – from 3 to 8). The overall rate of polysemy is low. Polysemous relations are also formed by borrowed terms and internationalisms (91 terms in total) from Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, Italian, Irish, Semitic and ancient Indian languages. We have identified cases of interlingual polysemants and interlingual homonyms. According to the morphological structure, the most frequent in the GLSPAC terminology are nouns (1036 terms), followed by verbs (202 terms) and adjectives (66 terminological units). Participles and terminological compounds are sporadically presented in the sample. The results of the study represent the state of polysemous relations at the present historical stage and will help in the retrospective analysis of the stages of formation and development of the GLSPAC.