Ona PETRĖNIENĖ

Vilniaus pedagoginis universitetas

EXPLAINING TERMS IN POPULAR SCIENCE TEXTS

Popular science texts intended for the general public¹ usually present the most current and interesting scientific material in a straightforward and comprehensible way: the latest ideas, discoveries, and so on. The main function of these texts is “to present subject-specific information, and to make it appealing, to clothe it in imagery and emotion, that is, to seek impact and persuasiveness” (Župerka 1997: 83); alongside the informative function, the expressive and appellative functions are also realized. In seeking to influence the addressee and interest them in the issues raised, authors tend to use linguistic resources in nonstandard, creative ways, drawing on everyday situations. In popular science texts, subject-matter precision, logicality, and the reliability of facts are inseparable from vividness, emotionality, and subjective evaluation.

Unlike in a scientific-style text, whose sender addresses a specialist as qualified as themselves, capable of “thinking in abstract categories and synthesizing complex scientific information, memorizing it creatively” (Bitinienė 1997: 27), the addressee of popular science texts is being prepared to properly understand the information presented in-

¹ The popularization of science in Lithuania began to develop more intensively in the late nineteenth century and the first decades of the twentieth. During this period, popular science articles “explaining the foundations of various sciences in an accessible way and introducing the terms most necessary for general education” (Palionis 1995: 268) were published by J. Adomaitis (Šernas), P. Avižonis, J. Basanavičius, K. Būga, J. Jablonskis, A. Janulaitis, J. Šliūpas, P. Vileišis, and many other scholars of the time. No less attention is devoted to popularizing science today; as efforts are made to meet society’s intellectual needs, science popularization is becoming increasingly important. Depending on the addressee’s age, education, and so forth, popular science texts may be interpreted in different ways. To survey the more common ways of explaining terms, this article draws on texts intended for a broad audience. Most of the texts examined belonged to the series Mokslo naujienos visiems.

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formation. An effort is made to anticipate all the components of scientific exposition that the addressee may not understand and to find ways of explaining them. The texts mentioned avoid abstraction: each claim is supported by familiar facts and illustrated with concrete examples. Particular attention is paid to terms, since their abundance or inappropriate use makes a text difficult to understand and limits the addressee’s ability to take an interest in scientific developments.

Terms—the most important and informative part of the vocabulary of scientific language—are used in all varieties of scientific style² (the stylistic feature realized is subject-matter precision), but function differently in each of them³. Given the unspecified addressee, popular science texts seek to include only those terms that are indispensable. Preference is given to terms from particular fields of science that are already established in the language; new and questionable terms are avoided, and there is little inclination to coin neologisms⁴. All terms used in popular science texts can be divided into those that require no additional explanation and those that the addressee may not understand, or may misunderstand, without further explanation.

Popular science texts do not explain general categorical concepts that are equally important to all sciences (e.g.,

²Taking into account “the nonlinguistic factors of scientific style, especially the constantly changing aims of the communication act, understood in the broad sense, the distinctive nature of relations between participants, and the functioning of actual texts in the sphere of scientific activity” (Bitinienė 1997: 27), A. Bitinienė distinguishes three principal substyles of scientific style—theoretical (specialized), educational, and methodological—as well as the popular science substyle, which, according to the scholar, belongs to the periphery of scientific style.

³ Atsižvelgdamas į terminų funkcionavimą tekste, V. Leičikas (Лейчик 1990: 82) pateikia tokią tekstų klasifikaciją: terminų kuriamieji (tekstai, kuriuose aprašomos naujos teorijos, koncepcijos, nauji išradimai ir atradimai, kt.), terminų vartojamieji (antriniai informaciniai dokumentai, mokslo populiarinamieji, publicistikos tekstai, kt.) ir terminų įtvirtinamieji (terminų žodynai, enciklopedijos, kt.) tekstai.

⁴ Terminologų teigimu (žr. Gaivenis 2002: 27), kiekvienas abejotantis dėl vieno ar kito termino turi teisę kurti savo naujadarą, tačiau tikėtina, kad nauji ar mažai žinomi terminai gali atitolinti mokslo populiarinamuosius tekstus nuo sudėtingesnių mokslinių tekstų, kurių pagrindą sudaro standartizuoti ar atitinkamų institucijų aprobuoti terminai.

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development, hypothesis, method, evolution, connection, system, etc.) or terms from specific branches of science that the audience is expected to know from general education. These are the basic concepts of various fields included in general education curricula. For example, in popular science texts on linguistics, terms denoting sounds (e.g., vowel VanagMVP 82, consonant VanagMVP 82), parts of speech (e.g., noun KeinTA 69), or parts of words (e.g., ending KeinTA 19, suffix VanagMVP 65, root VanagMVP 67), require no additional explanation; popular science texts on botany do not explain the names of well-known plants (e.g., dead-nettle JankevRGA 11, lily of the valley JankevRGA 24), substances (e.g., chlorophyll JankevRGA 9), or processes (e.g., photosynthesis JankevRGA 9), among others. Nor are terms characterized by semantic precision and transparent motivation explained in detail: some compound or complex terms (compounds) whose meanings are revealed by the internal form of the term itself are fairly easy to understand, for example: nutrient medium RimkSBP 7 or star chart SviderskŽ 11, longevity SkliutKI 5, etc. Of course, there is always a chance that the audience may not understand these terms. However, it is much worse when popular science texts leave unexplained rare terms used only in specialist literature, which remain incomprehensible to the audience without further explanation.

Terminas „jau pačia savo sandara turi teisingai orientuoti vartotojus“ (Keinys 1980: 32), tačiau kartais vidinė termino forma adresatą gali klaidinti. Tokiais atvejais adresantas ne tik bando iškelti požymius, kurie gali likti nepastebėti, bet ir stengiasi numatyti termino suvokimo klaidas ir netikslumus. Pvz.: Pirčiupių – Valkininkų pušynuose vasarą nesunku aptikti rausvais žiedais žydinčią gvazdikinių šeimos rūšį – lietuvinę naktižiedę. Nedaug yra rūšių, kurios pasaulio botanikams (juk lotynų kalba yra tarptautinė mokslo kalba ir kiekviena augalų rūšis turi lotynišką vardą) primena Lietuvą. Ir nebūtinai šios rūšys turi būti išplitusios tik Lietuvoje. Pakako, kad jas pirmąkart aprašė botanikai, dirbę Lietuvoje ir tą vardą pasiūlė. Lietuvinė naktižiedė auga tik Pietų Lietuvoje, Baltarusijoje, Lenkijoje, Ukrainoje JankevRGA 29–30. Sakalas keleivis. Sakalas keleivis visai nekeliauja; jis sėslus paukštis. Dalis paukščių net lieka žiemoti ten, kur perėjo, o išskridusieji paprastai

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returns to the old nest BalaševIRK 52. To guard against the possibility that the audience might interpret the terms presented in their own way, their actual motivation is explained, and efforts are made to reveal their true meaning as fully as possible.

In popular science texts, the greatest attention is devoted to terms specific to particular branches of science. To make the information presented accessible to everyone who wants to learn about it, ways are sought to explain these terms more simply and clearly⁵. One method of explaining terms, commonly used in popular science texts across different fields, is to define the object, phenomenon, or process denoted by the term. The approach is to provide a partial definition: not all the characteristics of the object named by the term are listed; instead, attention is focused on the feature that is most important in the specific context⁶. For example: Hillforts are fortresses intended to protect the lives of local inhabitants GimbutBPL 116. Cholesterol is a substance essential for maintaining normal vital functions SkliutKI 28. The definition can also be phrased differently: the linking expression⁷ may be expressed by the words that is or is called, moving away from the strict structure of a definition (the explanation comes closer to a narrative). For example: Bacteria often develop alongside fungi, and vice versa. Such interaction is called synergism Lu-

⁵ Methods of explaining terms have been discussed in considerable detail by linguists in other countries—L. Batašiova (Баташёва 1985), I. Kvitko (Квитко 1976), E. Lazarevič (Лазаревич 1978), E. Nikitin (Никитин 1970), and many others. In Lithuania, this field has so far received little research.

⁶ Compare: In the Dictionary of Foreign Words, the term electrolyte is defined as “a substance whose molecules, when dissolved or melted, dissociate into ions (solutions of salts, acids, and bases, molten salts, etc.)” (TŽŽ 1969: 205). In a popular science text on physics, we find the following explanation of this term: “electrolytes are solutions of acids, bases, or salts that contain mobile ions—the carriers of electric current” (DavidavGJP 20). This text discusses electrochemical reactions and positively and negatively charged ions; therefore, in the author’s view, it is not at all important how a particular substance dissociates into ions—by dissolving, melting, or otherwise. The definition retains only what helps readers understand the situation in question.

⁷ Three components of a definition are distinguished: “the expression being defined (definiendum), the defining expression (definiens), and the linking expression (expressed by the words is, that is, means). A definition is the equality of the defining expression and the expression being defined” (VLE 2001: 645).

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gauskB 6. A treaty may provide that states which have not signed it may accede to it at a later date. Such accession is called accession or adherence LydekPPKS 138.

Definition, as a method of explaining a term’s meaning, is used in all substyles of the scientific style (very often as a means of introducing new terms), but in popular science texts it may be supplemented with evaluative elements not characteristic of technical language. For example: Nickel is a white metal with a yellowish tint. It is hard and takes a good polish. Products coated with shiny or matte polished nickel look very attractive DavidavGJP 34. One of these hereditary diseases is phenylketonuria. It is a disease causing intellectual disability, which is now successfully treated with an appropriate diet SinkGLŽ 5. The more fully the object being described is characterized, the less standardization and scientific rigor remain—the formal communicative situation shifts into a more intimate conversation.

Terms are quite often explained by revealing their origin. Indicating the origin helps readers understand how a term is used and offers insight into its nature. Depending on the object denoted by the term, two methods of explaining its origin are possible:

1) the history of the term’s emergence is presented, for example: At the beginning of the 20th century, the Balts began to be called by the name Aestii. This name was taken from the Roman historian Tacitus, whose work Germania (98 AD) mentions the Aesti, the people of the Aestiorum tribe, who lived on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea (according to Tacitus, “on the right bank of the Suevic Sea”). It would probably be more accurate to call people who speak Baltic languages Aestii than to use the artificial name Balts, but it is unclear whether Tacitus used it to refer to all Balts, to the Prussians, or only to those who lived around the Curonian Lagoon GimbutBPL 12. In 1839, the antifriction alloy babbitt was first produced in the world from prehistoric metals—tin and lead (it was named after its discoverer, the engineer Babbit). This alloy is used to manufacture plain bearings JanulMM 11;

2) the language from which the term originated is indicated, along with the motivation for the term⁸. For example: We now have synthetic inhibitors, called

⁸ In linguistic literature, this method of explaining terms is often called the etymology of a term (see Куликова, Салмина 2002: 149).

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retardants (English “retard”—to slow down, hinder). These are physiologically active substances that also regulate plant growth. They slow stem growth and affect photosynthesis, metabolism, plant flowering, and other growth processes ŠimkKPAA 15. In 1941, a group of American scientists isolated vitamin B₉ from spinach leaves for the first time; it is also known as folic acid (Latin “folium”—leaf). It is produced only in plant leaves ŠimkKPAA 19.

By revealing the original meaning, motivation not only shows the transparency of a term’s meaning but also helps readers remember a more complex term. At the same time, an effort is made to tell the story of the phenomenon that gave the term life. Nevertheless, this way of explaining terms is not particularly successful—the history of a term’s origin does not always explain the term itself, and, moreover, without knowing the language cited, it may be difficult to remember the motivation being discerned. Perhaps for this reason, a term’s origin is often merely supplementary information given in parentheses alongside a much broader explanation of the concept.

In popular science texts, both ways of explaining a term’s origin may be used side by side—in a single sentence. Such usage is often determined by the addresser’s aim to explain synonymous terms. As already mentioned, the particular way a term’s origin is explained is determined by the object being named. E.g.: Another analogous form of anemia, affecting tens of millions of people in malarial regions, is Cooley’s anemia (named after a physician’s surname) or thalassemia (from the Greek words “thalassa”—sea, indicating that it occurs in coastal areas, and “haima”—blood) SinkGLŽ 40.

An orientation toward a term’s origin is also characteristic of specialized scientific and educational texts, but in popular science texts, once a reference to the source of origin has been provided, no effort is made to maintain an impersonal, technical tone—the explanation may continue with examples from everyday situations. E.g.: In a broader sense, the various changes in all metals caused by the external environment are called metal corrosion. The term “corrosion” itself is of Latin origin and means the deterioration and rusting of metal alloys and metal objects. Even copper and brass items corrode. They become covered not with reddish-brown rust, but with a greenish coating. Silver coins and silver objects acquire similar coatings because silver is usually alloyed with copper. Aluminum, zinc, and

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lead items also corrode. It is enough to pickle cucumbers in an aluminum pot or leave sour cabbage in it for several days, and the pot gradually develops a hole. Thus, metal has a major drawback—it corrodes DavidavGJP 5–6. The addresser’s or addressee’s practical experience (e.g., the aforementioned pickling of cucumbers or cabbage in an aluminum pot) may be included as additional, highly persuasive material. Everyday situations are quite often used to explain terms in popular science texts. E.g.: At the beginning of the twentieth century, a young American scientist, T. Morgan, chose the fruit fly—Drosophila—for genetic research. We have all seen this fly: in pantries and cellars, swarms of tiny flies hover around picked fruit, wine, and fermenting jams. This is the famous Drosophila, to whose study thousands of scientists devoted (=dedicated) their lives SinkGLŽ 11. The combination of scientific and everyday-style components reveals the distinctive character of popular science texts.

In popular science texts, terms may be explained using synonyms⁹ employed in other types of texts. Synonyms are most often used to explain international terms—with more widely used variants in the language provided alongside them. E.g.: This metabolic defect had no other notable effects until barbiturates began to be used as sleeping pills in 1903: barbital, phenobarbital (readers may be more familiar with the names Veronal and Luminal), etc. SinkGLŽ 42. The only chemical substance capable of providing energy in this system is hydrogen. Its electro-

⁹In exemplary terminology, synonymy is restricted to the greatest possible extent—the aim is for each concept to be designated by only one term. However, synonymous terms are abundant. St. Keinys has discussed the reasons for their emergence most thoroughly (Keinys 1980). According to him, synonyms arise because terminology has not been standardized; authors coin their own terms because they do not know, dislike, or distrust terms used by others—all of this leads to the emergence of both international and purely Lithuanian synonymous terms. Moreover, “some synonymous terms are formed when neologisms or calques are added alongside words from the vernacular or literary language that have acquired terminological meaning,” or “when shorter terms, often single-word ones, are formed in certain cases alongside two- or multi-word compound terms”; “it also happens that synonymous terms emerge in the search for a more correct expression” (Keinys 1980: 100, 101).

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our biological catalysts, or enzymes, transfer [it] to the oxygen molecule JasaitGE 9; likewise, Lithuanian equivalents, e.g.: Stone scrapers, fish bones, nutshells, the shells of water chestnuts, fern roots, bird bones, and so on are found at camps from that period GimbutBPL 28. These are signs of the energy of life and its renewal, essential to the symbolic systems of the feminine chthonic (earth) and lunar (lunar-cycle) realms GimbutBPL 33. In this way, terms are explained without drawing particular attention to them.

Another way of explaining synonymous terms, in which an international term is provided alongside the Lithuanian one¹⁰, is more oriented toward a specialist in the field of science under discussion—a qualified addressee: the Lithuanian word is usually new as a term, so an international equivalent used in specialized literature but not widely established is also given. It may be assumed that, for a nonspecialist, such an explanation is didactic in nature—it is likely that, having become familiar with the term, the addressee will understand it more easily in another scientific text as well. E.g.: To better understand why factors that cause mutations attract such interest, it is necessary to mention the causes of natural (spontaneous) mutability in organisms and briefly travel back to the distant past LekeveEG 14. The corrosion process intensifies if not just one, but several types of microorganisms develop on the surface, for example, bacteria and microscopic fungi (micromycetes) LugauskB 6. It has been observed that synonyms are usually provided to recall a familiar term explained earlier in the text, or when a term is used only occasionally.

Terms are explained vividly and persuasively through metaphors and comparisons. Metaphors may also be used as synonyms—“a seme is distinguished that brings the metaphor closer to widely used synonyms

¹⁰In the language of some sciences (e.g., botany, medicine, etc.), Latin words or phrases are also fairly common. E.g.: Microscopic fungi grow and develop on polyethylene, especially species of the genera Penicillium and Aspergillus LugauskB 14. For example, the hemolytic streptococcus (Streptococcus haemolyticus) has no flagella, which some bacteria may temporarily lose RimkSBP 12. The Latin equivalent is generally provided in popular science texts for the sake of precision. It is inaccurate to regard such usage as a way of explaining terms in popular science texts intended for the general public.

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eilutės“ (Batašėva 1985: 142). Pvz.: Ilgiau stebėdami dangų, išvysite „krintančių žvaigždžių“ – meteorų, sen bei ten žvaigždžių fone skriejančių dirbtinių Žemės palydovų, o gal ir įspūdingą žalsvai rausvais atspalviais vilnijančią šiaurės pašvaistę SviderskŽ 19. Kaip matyti, termino meteoras sinonimu vartojamas metaforinis junginys „krintanti žvaigždė“, turintis realizuotą semą „tvykstelėti“ ir tikslinamas pažyminiu „krintanti“, yra visiškai galimas termino reikšmės aiškinimas¹¹. Arba: Pastaruoju metu išskirta daugiau kaip 40 giberelinų (grupė augimą skatinančių hormonų; iš jų geriausiai ištirta ir veikliausia yra giberelino rūgštis) – augalo stiebo augimo „kontrolierių“ ŠimkKPAA 14. Saulės gelmės yra milžiniškas branduolinių reakcijų katilas, kuris sunaudoja vandenilį ir gamina helį JuškMŽS 12. Mokslo populiarinamuosiuose tekstuose metafora, kaip papildomas aiškinimo elementas, gali atlikti ir kitą funkciją – padėti atskleisti terminu įvardyto reiškinio ar proceso reikšmę. Akivaizdi orientacija į buitinio stiliaus metaforizaciją – „juntame artimumą kalbamiajam daiktui, tiesioginį kalbėtojo sąlytį su juo“ (Župerka 1997: 62). Pvz.: Jau šio šimtmečio pradžioje mokslininkams buvo žinoma dar viena augalų „mėgstama“ medžiaga, nuo kurios gerėja jų „apetitas valgant“ azotą. Šios medžiagos – vitamino B₆ (piridoksino) – išaiškinimui pagrindus padėjo amerikietis A. Maisteris ŠimkKPAA 18–19. Tokia vartosena padeda sudaryti įspūdį, kad tekstas nėra sudėtingas, kad jį gana lengva suprasti, nes informacija pateikiama tiesiogiai ir paprastai.

The principle of accessibility can also be realized through comparisons, which in popular science texts are most often based on familiar objects and phenomena. For example: Radiation mutagenesis can be com-

¹¹ In popular science texts, metaphors or metaphorical phrases are often set off with quotation marks. Some authors use quotation marks to avoid responsibility for inaccurate and stylistically unmotivated metaphorization (Пахутин 1988: 23; cf. Abaravičius 2002: 210–211), but most often in popular science texts they mark “authorial metaphors – new, unexpected juxtapositions of concepts” (Marcinkevičienė 1991: 19). There is no doubt that such excessive use of quotation marks is flawed: “quotation marks around an authorial metaphor diminish some of its charm and the freshness of its associations” (Marcinkevičienė 1991: 20). In many cases, quotation marks should be used more sparingly and judiciously in popular science texts.

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pared with the tip of an iceberg protruding above the water. Just as most of an iceberg lies beneath the water, so the main mutagenic danger comes from chemical compounds, although they affect chromosomes less severely than radiation SinkGLŽ 26. Pitting corrosion is dangerous. It is often barely visible to the naked eye and penetrates deep into the metal. Figuratively speaking, the metal is as if pricked with a sharp needle. Such corrosion is promoted by the galvanic microcells that form, whose more active parts dissolve DavidavGJP 10. Such associations “make it possible to understand new material better and, accordingly, assimilate it” (Полищук 1977: 17). The use of linguistic devices uncommon in scholarly texts—metaphors and comparisons—reveals the linguistic distinctiveness of popular science texts.

Popular science texts may also employ less traditional ways of explaining terms: nonverbal forms of expression, such as graphs, diagrams, illustrations, and so on, may be used to explain a term. For example: They (hillforts – O. P.) are characterized by striated pottery (striated, or brushed, it is so called because the walls of the pots were rubbed with a bundle of grass) (fig. 31) GimbutBPL 64–65. By seeing an example of striated pottery, the recipient more easily understands the information presented.

As can be seen from the examples given, in popular science texts terms are often explained not in just one, but in several different ways. Nor is a single explanation considered sufficient: the aim is to ensure that the recipient remembers the term. Various devices are used for this purpose, such as repetition, reminders, and so on. For example: The water chestnut has disappeared from Lithuania’s lakes JankevRGA 12. Later in the text: The previously mentioned water chestnut (extinct in Lithuania) is still found in the lakes of Latvia and Belarus JankevRGA 14. The repeated term is not explained in greater detail.

The use of terms in popular science texts also raises the question of determinologization—the conversion of terms into ordinary words. After all, one of the conditions for determinologization is that “a term must be widely disseminated and known not only to specialists” (Gaivenis 1997: 7). Unfortunately, it is difficult to determine how much influence popular science texts can have on this complex process; more extensive research would be needed to draw more substantive conclusions.

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Concluding findings

1. Terms used in popular science texts intended for the general public can be divided into terms that require no further explanation and terms that the recipient may misunderstand or fail to understand without further explanation.

2. Popular science texts most often do not explain general categorical concepts of equal importance across all sciences, or terms from specific scientific disciplines that are well known from general education. Some compound or complex terms whose meaning is revealed by their internal form are also not explained in greater detail.

3. Particular attention in popular science texts is devoted to specialized terms from specific scientific disciplines; ways are sought to explain these terms more simply and clearly. Terms may be explained by: 1) providing a definition of the object, phenomenon, or action denoted by the term; 2) revealing the term’s origin; 3) using synonyms; 4) using figurative language—metaphors and comparisons; 5) employing nonverbal means of expression, such as graphs, diagrams, illustrations, and so on. Terms are most often explained not in just one, but in several different ways.

4. The methods used to explain terms in popular science texts are often analogous to those used in scholarly texts, but may differ in their linguistic means of expression. In addition, the selection of linguistic devices in popular science texts may also depend on such nonlinguistic factors as the recipient’s age or the complexity of the material presented.

ŠALTINIAI

BalaševĮRK – Balaševičius B. 1977: Įrašytas į Raudonąją knygą, Vilnius.

DavidavGJP – Davidavičius E. 1979: Galvanotechnika ir jos panaudojimas, Vilnius.

GimbutBPL – Gimbutienė M. 1985: Baltai priešistoriniais laikais; Vilnius.

JankevRGA – Jankevičienė R. 1978: Retieji globotiniai augalai, Vilnius.

JanulMM – Janulis V. 1986: Metalai ir mes, Vilnius.

JasaitGE – Jasaitis A. 1978: Gyvybės energetika, Vilnius.

JuškMŽS – Juška A. 1966: Mūsų žvaigždė – Saulė, Vilnius.

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KeinTA – Keinys St. 1980: Terminologijos abėcėlė, Vilnius.

LeckevEG – Leckevičius R. 1980: Ekologinė genetika, Vilnius.

LydekPPKS – Lydecka A. 2002: Protokolo pagrindai kiekvienam..., Vilnius.

LugauskB – Lugauskas A. 1983: Biokorozija, Vilnius.

RimkSBP – Rimkūnas A. 1983: Slėpiningas bakterijų pasaulis, Vilnius.

SinkGLŽ – Sinkus A. 1979: Genai, ligos, žmogus, Vilnius.

SkliutKI – Skliutauskas J. 1979: Kaukazo ilgamečiai, Vilnius.

SviderskŽ – Sviderskienė Z. 1983: Žvaigždynai, Vilnius.

ŠimkKPAA – Šimkūnas R. 1980: Kaip padidinti augalų apetitą, Vilnius.

VanagMVP – Vanagas A. 1982: Mūsų vardai ir pavardės, Vilnius.

LITERATŪRA

Abaravičius J. 2002: Skyrybos stilistika, Vilnius.

Баташёва Л. А. 1985: Некоторые принципы подачи терминов в научно-популярной литературе (на материале лингвистических работ). – Вопросы стилистики: Стилистика художественной речи, Саратов, 134–148.

Bitinėnė A. 1997: Funkciniai stiliai: sakinio ligis ir struktūra, Vilnius.

Gaivenis K. 1997: Terminizacija ir determinizacija. – Terminologija 4, 4–7.

Gaivenis K. 2002: Lietuvių terminologija: teorijos ir tvarkybos metmenys, Vilnius.

Keinys St. 1980: Terminologijos abėcėlė, Vilnius.

Куликова И., Салмина Д. 2002: Введение в металингвистику (лингвистическая терминология в коммуникативно-прагматическом аспекте), Санкт-Петербург.

Квитко И. С. 1976: Термин в научном документе, Киев.

Лазаревич Э. А. 1978: Искусство популяризации науки, Москва.

Лейчик В. М. 1990: Особенности функционирования терминов в тексте. – Филологические науки 3, 80–87.

Marcinkevičienė R. 1991: Kabutės: būtinybė ar balastas. – Gimtoji kalba 8, 18–20.

Никитин Е. П. 1970: Объяснение – функция науки, Москва.

Пахутин П. И. 1988: Слова в кавычках в научном тексте. – Сложные синтаксические конструкции и их текстообразующая функция, Алма-Ата, 20–24.

Palionis J. 1995: Lietuvių rašomosios kalbos istorija, Vilnius.

Полишук Г. Г. 1977: Приёмы научно-популярного изложения, Москва.

TŽŽ 1969: Tarptautinių žodžių žodynas, Vilnius.

VLE 2001: Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija 1, Vilnius.

Župerka K. 1997: Stilistika, Šiauliai.

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EXPLANATION OF TERMS IN POPULAR SCIENCE TEXTS

Summary

Terms used in popular science texts addressed to the mass reader could fall into two groups: those that need no additional explanation and those that might be misunderstood or not understood by the addressee without additional explanation.

Common categorial concepts (e.g. hypothesis, method, law) equally important in all sciences and terms of separate sciences (e.g. names of sounds or parts of speech, etc.) that should be understood within one’s general knowledge need no additional explanation. Terms of precise semantics and clear motivation are also not explained exhaustively as the meaning of some compound or complex terms is revealed by the inner form of a term itself.

In popular science texts the main focus is on specific terms of separate sciences, i.e. it is looked for the ways to make the explanation of terms as simple and understandable as possible. In popular science texts, terms can be explained by defining them (1), by revealing their etymology (2), by presenting synonyms (3), expressive means of language such as metaphors and similes (4), or non-verbal means of expression (e.g. diagrams, schemes, pictures, etc.) (5). Terms are frequently explained not by one but rather by several different ways.

Ways of explaining terms in popular science texts are often analogous to those used in science texts, however, they may differ in means of linguistic expression. Selection of language means in popular science texts may depend on such non-linguistic factors as age of the addressee or composition of the material presented.

Ona PETRĖNIENĖ

Gauta 2003-10-20

Vilniaus pedagoginis universitetas Lietuvių kalbos katedra T. Ševčenkos g. 31, LT-2009 Vilnius

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