De la terminologie à la socioterminologie: étude de l’implantation terminologique

Abstract

Terminology (as a discipline) can be described as the scientific study of all the terms of a particular domain, used in the specialty languages, while socioterminology is a branch of terminology that is characterized by the study of the social circulation of terms and their appropriation, which implies the analysis of language practices, discursive functioning and the historical course of terms related to history of ideas. Terminological implantation therefore is seen as one of the means by which official terms can be circulated in a language of a specialized field or society. This means that implantation of official terms (proposed or standardized) among users is, of course, one of the most essential steps for the success of terminological activities in a language of a particular field or society in general. However, with regards to the fact that for a successful implantation of official terms (proposed or standardized) in a given language of a specialized field or society, the terms must penetrate the users (it has to be received and used by the users); the aim of the present research work is to examine the factors that promote implantation of terms in a society. To accomplish this, we examined terms in the special field of automobile, compiled and published by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) over forty years ago, in order to see if they are still in circulation even today, seen that this field is one of the specialized fields where implantation of terms has been carried out largely on the French language in Quebec society.