TERMINOLOGY-

MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

LECTURE 9
TERMINOLOGY-MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• ...users who try to use standard spreadsheet, database, or word-

processing programs to manage terminological data almost inevitably
run into problems involving compromised data integrity due to
inadequate modelling features, in addition to difficulties manipulating
large volumes of data as resources grow over time.
• – Schmitz (2001, 539)
TERMINOLOGY-MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• A major part in any translation project is identifying equivalents for specialized

terms.
• Subject fields such as computing, manufacturing, law and medicine all have
significant amounts of field-specific terminology.
• Researching the specific terms needed to complete a translation is a time-
consuming task.
• A terminology-management system (TMS) can help with various aspects of the
translator’s terminology-related tasks, including the storage, retrieval, and updating
of term records.
TERMINOLOGY-MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• One important part of a translation project is the identification of equivalents for

specialised terms. There are specialised terms for different fields.
• These specialised terms are often more preferred by some clients. Terminology-
Management System, TMS, which first came into existence in the 1960s, serves
the purposes of storing, retrieving, and updating of these terms.
• It led to the development of large-scale term banks.
• Although it is very tasking to get specialised terms, when used consistently
however, they not only make documentation easier to read and understand but
also prevent miscommunications.
• The TMS also helps cut cost, improve linguistic quality and reduce time spent on
the translation work.
WHAT IS TERMINOLOGY MANAGEMENT

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACW9VFDwmww
HOW TO USE TERMINOLOGY IN SDL

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofCe1UFhOkM
1. STORAGE

• The most fundamental function of a TMS is the consolidation and

storage of terms used in translation works.
• Unlike the previous TMSs, the newer ones are freed of shortcomings
associated with storing information in structured text files, and
mapping source-to-text terminology using a unidirectional one-to-one
correspondence.
2. RETRIEVAL

• After storage, a translator must be able to retrieve the stored information.

• There are many search and retrieval mechanisms available.
• The simplest one consists of a look-up to retrieve the exact matches.
• The others include the use of wildcards for truncated searches, and fuzzy
matching techniques.
• When wildcard searching or fuzzy matching is used, it is possible that more
than one record will be retrieved as a potential match.
• When this happens, users are presented with a "hit list" of all the records in the
term base that may be of interest, and they can select the record(s) that they
wish to view.
2. RETRIEVAL

• Once the terminology has been stored, translators need to be able to

retrieve this information. A range of retrieval mechanisms is available:
1. A simple look-up to retrieve an exact match. Wildcards for
truncated search (EX: comput*)
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2. Fuzzy matching techniques. A fuzzy match retrieves terms that

are similar to the requested search patterns, but that do not match it
exactly.
3. ACTIVE TERMINOLOGY RECOGNITION AND PRE-
TRANSLATION

• Essentially a type of automatic dictionary look-up, active terminology recognition

and pre-translation is a feature common with TMSs designed as part of an
integrated package with word processor.
• This is otherwise known as active terminology recognition.
• As the translator moves through the text, the terminology recognition component
compares items in the source text against the contents of the term base, and if a
match is found, the term record in question is displayed for the user to consult.
Some TMSs also allow a more automated extension of this feature.
• Translator can use the TMS to do batch processing of terms for which an entry
exists in the term base, and it will then automatically insert the corresponding
equivalents into the target text.
4. TERM EXTRACTION

• Another feature of a TMS is term extraction. It is sometimes referred to

as term-recognition or term identification tool.
• While most of the available term extraction tools are monolingual,
efforts are ongoing on bilingual tools that can analyse existing source
texts in order to identify candidate terms.
• They are unlike the word-frequency lists described earlier – extraction
tools try to identify multi-word units. Linguistic and statistical
approaches are two main approaches to term extraction.
4.1. LINGUISTIC APPROACH

• Term-extraction tools that use a linguistic approach typically attempt to

identify word combinations that match particular part-of-speech patterns.
• For example, in English, many terms consist of NOUN+ NOUN or
ADJECTIVE+NOUN combinations.
• In order to implement such an approach, each word in the text must first be
tagged with its appropriate part of speech,
• Once the text has been correctly tagged, the term-extraction tool simply
identifies al the occurrences that match the specified part-of-speech patterns.
• For instance, a tool that has been programmed to identify NOUN+NOUN and
ADJECTIVE+NOUN combinations as potential terms would identify all lexical
combinations matching those patterns from a given text.
4.1. LINGUISTIC APPROACH

• Unfortunately, not all texts can be processed this neatly. If the text is
modified slightly, problems such as "noise" and "silence" become
apparent.
• First, not all of the combinations that follow the specified patterns will
qualify as terms. Of the NOUN+NOUN and ADJECTIVE+NOUN
candidates some qualify as terms ("antivirus programs," "integrity
checking," "behaviour blocking," "heuristic analysis"),
4.2. STATISTICAL APPROACH

• Using the frequency threshold, statistical approach to term extraction

uses the frequency of term to determine the candidacy of terms.
Minimum threshold frequency is set to aid this approach. The problem
with this approach, however, is that while language is full of repetitions,
not all repeated items qualify as terms. A “noise” problem can also
occur as a result of sole reliance on repetition. A stop list will be needed
to reduce a noise problem, in this regard. Another drawback is that not
all terms in a text will be repeated. In spite of its drawbacks, statistical
approach does have one important use: it can be used to process texts
in multiple languages.
6. BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF WORKING WITH A TMS

• Having a glossary of any kind encourages consistency in the use of

terminologies. It saves time and enables translators work faster. While
there had been means of keeping terminology records before the
arrival of TMS, the TMS, however, has own benefits. It also has its
drawbacks. Some of the benefits and drawbacks are:
6.1. SPEED AND FLEXIBILITY

• One major reason for using TMS is that it enables speed and flexibility.
Unlike other systems, it permits more flexibility to store and receive
terms. Since it is an electronic system, it is also easier to update and
faster to search through. Speed and flexibility related drawbacks
include spending time on editing, copying and pasting terms.
6.2. QUALITY

• Although there can be many glossary with which translators can work,
the TMS assures better quality delivery. The TMS ensures consistency
through a project. Also, terms are checked and used against base – this
further makes delivering quality translation work possible.
•
6.3. CHANGING THE NATURE OF THE
TASK
• Technology has evidently started having impact on the amount and
type of technological information being on a term record and the way
information is recorded. Notwithstanding, flexibilities have been
challenged by such issues as usage of source and target text resulting
in localisation that disallows for detailed glossary. While terminology
used by even the clients change, the trend has been caused by
translators since they are only interested in client-approved translated
term.
•
6.3. CHANGING THE NATURE OF THE
TASK

• TSM has also caused a change in both the type and the way data are stored.
For instance, translators can automatically insert terminology from the TSM
into the target text. One result of this is that some translators create term
records for phrases or expressions that occur frequently in a specialized
subject field but do not qualify as terms in the conventional sense. For
instance, a translator working on the translation of a computer manual may
create term records for expressions such as "click on OK" or "it's easy to"
because it is faster to insert these frequently used expressions directly from
the TMS than it is to type them.
6.3. CHANGING THE NATURE OF THE
TASK
• It is also important to note that there has also been questions raised
about the form of a term that should be on term file. Basically, term
files have usually contained the canonical form of a term (the singular
form of a noun, the infinitive form of a verb, the masculine form of an
adjective) (Dubuc 1985, 80; Rondeau 1984, 84. Kenny (1999, 71) has
observed that in order to reduce the amount of time spent editing
terms inserted directly from TMSs, there are translators who are now
choosing to record the most common form of a term, or indeed several
forms of a term, in the term record.
•
6.4. SHAREABILITY OF INFORMATION: NETWORKING,
FILE FORMATS, AND STANDARDS

• Although can be used independent of other software, more often than

not, they are being integrated in a way that allows other users to
access it. Where this happens, it may be required that privileges are
set based on the categories of users. Consultation of information, for
instance, should be a privilege for all while quality check is left for
some. Data can also be shared with clients and other translators. The
drawback is that not everyone uses the same TMS. There are several
efforts being made to address this issue, however.
•
6.5. CHARACTER SET AND LANGUAGE-RELATED
DIFFICULTIES

• Since TMSs can only process single-byte characters, it is not without its
limitations. Notably, however, there are many ongoing efforts in
addressing problems associated with TMS. An example of such
problem being resolved is the issue of translations from languages that
require double-byte characters such as Chinese, Japanese etc.
6.6. ECONOMIC ASPECTS

• Acquiring a TMS is not costly, therefore, many translators will be able to

afford it. An added advantage is the fact that TMSs do not occupy a lot
of space. When a TMS is run as part of an integrated suite with a
translation memory system, both system requirements and price will
go up.
DO
DO NOT
DO
KEY POINTS

• Terminology-management system has been available in one format or another since the 1960s but
contemporary software has many improvements
• Contemporary TMSs store information in a way that allows mapping in multiple language directions
• They can store more information in free entry structure that allows users to define and format their
data fields
• Wildcard searches, fuzzy matching, active terminology recognition, pre-translation and term
extraction are some of the retrieval features
• TMSs can be networked to facilitate data exchange; standards have been developed to allow data
exchange between different systems.
• It is evident that this technology is changing the conventional terminographic practice (e.g., the
forms that are recorded on term records).
REFERENCES

• Bowker, L. (2002). Computer-aided translation technology: A practical introduction.

Ottawa: University of Ottawa.