TERMS IN DISCOURSE :

NEGOTIATING MEANING IN COMMUNICATION

Abstract

Human society, with the huge network of relationships that binds
together the individuals who inhabit it at every level and in every way imaginable,
is highly dependent on communication, without which it could not exist. In less than
a century, the radical changes in communication brought about by the emergence of
new technologies have overturned the structures, relationships, customs and
mentalities that seemed capable of ensuring a certain balance in society. The sciences
are realising that the knowledge accumulated over the centuries, at the cost of
incredible efforts and even accepted sacrifices, does not always represent certain
truths. The specialised languages used to disseminate scientific and/or technical
knowledge in society or to pass it on from one generation to the next are constantly
being enriched with new terms, but the definitions provided by glossaries and
dictionaries are not always clear and precise - the ambiguity or inadequacy of certain
terminological units and the hesitations of the specialists who propose them are not
always concealed - or they are not in perfect harmony with recent discoveries in one
field or another. But the terms are not just used in expert communication. People
want to keep abreast of technical and scientific achievements and advances in
science and technology, whatever their profession or trade. Verbal interactions
cannot be reduced to lists of terms or definitions that are included in specialist
dictionaries. Discourse - whatever the genre - is the place where terminologies
function by fulfilling their most important role, that of ensuring, just like the words
of the common language, communication, in other words verbal exchanges in
companies and organisations, in linguistic and cultural communities, in society. This
negotiation of meaning must be taken into account, because it can take us a long way
from the definitions provided by terminology dictionaries (see also the following
example): ‘TDP-43, a protein essential for cell activity [...] is also proving to be a real
neuron killer! [...] TDP-43, an ancestral molecule that plays a double game. Although
it is known for its role in brain function, it can also be toxic to neurons. [...] The first
time TDP-43 was found in its ‘Mister Hyde’ form was in 2006, in brains affected by
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (or Charcot's disease) and frontotemporal lobar
dementia. (Science & Vie, No 1226 / 2019, pp. 90, 91,92).