TERMINOLOGY WORK IN ESTONIA

Presentation at the seminar of the Baltic States Terminology work now and in the future in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia

Estonians, of whom only one million speak Estonian, have faced restrictions on their language and struggled for it, like the other two neighboring Baltic countries. The small number of speakers might seem to call for strict rules governing language development and planning, but most linguists appear to believe that language is an open system that is constantly changing, and that excessive regulation can only harm it. Perhaps this is why terminology planning in Estonia is an unregulated process, with no institution whose decision on an Estonian term could be binding on users.

Nevertheless, the state must ensure the conditions for the language to survive and flourish. A detailed seven-year plan, Estonian Language Development Strategy 2004–2010., has been drawn up. This strategy sets out, in order of importance, the main development objectives for the sole official language of the Republic of Estonia. It aims to protect Estonian, ensure its continuous development, and create the necessary conditions for it to function in all areas of life throughout Estonia. The strategy specifies objectives and the actions required to achieve them. It also lists the institutions responsible for carrying out particular tasks. Implementation of the strategy is coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Research and monitored and analyzed by the Estonian Language Council.

One part of the strategy provides for terminology planning activities at the state level. It notes that specialists in various fields are interested in developing terminology and are prepared to undertake this work. Terminology planning activities are coordinated by the Estonian Terminology Association. Terminology committees in some fields are quite active, but their decisions are not binding on users (far from it, unlike the decisions of Latvia’s official Terminology Commission). The following terminology planning objectives are set out:

develop terminology in all fields of science and technology;

encourage the creation of new terminology in scientific and educational institutions,

disseminate and exchange information about terminology,

compile and publish terminology dictionaries (in print and online),

encourage constructive criticism of terminology dictionaries and explain how to use them effectively,

pay special attention to legal language,

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participate in international terminological cooperation, and guarantee the Estonian language the same rights, scope of use and opportunities for development as those enjoyed by other official European languages.

The executive bodies are:

the Language Planning Group of the Institute of the Estonian Language,

terminology commissions in various fields,

the Estonian Terminology Association (ETER),

the Estonian Legal Language Centre (ELLC),

universities and institutions of higher education,

the Ministry of Education and Research,

the Estonian language departments of the University of Tartu and Tallinn Pedagogical University.

Estonian Terminology Association (ETER) (www.eter.ee). ETER was founded in 2001 as a non-profit organization and is therefore not funded by the state (it is funded solely through membership fees). ETER is a member of the European Association for Terminology (EAFT). Its board is chaired by Arvi Tavastas, who is also a member of the EAFT board and of this association’s terminology training group. ETER brings together people interested in terminology work—translators, terminologists and specialists in various fields. Its website contains a valuable database listing specialists in various fields who develop Estonian terminology in their respective fields, together with an overview of the results of terminology work in those fields. Another database, containing all terminology dictionaries published in Estonia (in print or online), can also be found on the internet. This website is the best place to look for information about terminology and terminologists. To date, ETER has held one major terminology event each year: in 2001, a terminology summer school; in 2002, a conference on terminology theory and practice; and in 2003, an international terminology conference (information about it can be found on the website http://www.eter.ee/conference.html). The Estonian Language Development Strategy sets the following objectives for the association:

developing terminology and compiling terminology dictionaries,

disseminating terminological information,

terminology education,

criticism of terminology dictionaries,

planning (coordinating) terminology work,

participation in international terminological cooperation.

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Institute of the Estonian Language (ELI) (www.eki.ee). For a long time, the Institute of the Estonian Language was responsible for terminology planning. Terminologists working here, together with specialists in various fields, compile terminology dictionaries. This work is usually carried out as part of projects. The Strategy for the Development of the Estonian Language assigns the institute the following tasks:

terminology training,

development of terminology theory,

preparation of terminology guides and textbooks,

compilation of terminology dictionaries,

development of language technology tools.

Universities. Information about Estonian universities working in the field of terminology can be found on their websites: Tallinn University of Technology (TTU) – www.ttu.ee, University of Tartu (TU) – www.ut.ee, Tallinn Pedagogical University (TPU) – www.tpu.ee. All Estonian universities contribute to the development of terminology, but terminology is taught at only two of them—TU and TPU. For several decades, the University of Tartu has offered a 40-hour course, Terminology Management (Terminology Management), to students of Estonian philology, covering the history of Estonian terminology and the basic principles of term formation. Terminology theory is not reviewed in this course. Since 2002, Arvi Tavastas has taught a compulsory 80-hour Terminology Management course at TU and TPU for students pursuing a master's degree in translation. The aim of this course is to introduce students to the subject of terminology, develop skills in the critical use of terminology sources, and teach them to create terminology databases. The main topics are general and special language; systematic and specialized terminology work; prescriptive and descriptive terminology work; principles for selecting and creating Estonian terms and comparing them with foreign languages that influence Estonian; critical analysis of terminology sources—dictionaries (print and electronic), corpora, and contributions from specialists in various fields; working with specialists in various fields; terminology database software, its selection and use; and terminology theories, schools, and leading authors. Methods: students taking the course must critically examine in writing a terminology dictionary in a field of their choice and take part in practical sessions. In the practical sessions, terminology databases are created using Trados Multiterm and software chosen by the students. The seminars critically review terminology theories and compare them with practical experience. Students’ knowledge is assessed

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by means of a written test consisting of both theoretical questions and practical tasks. To receive a final grade, students must write a dictionary analysis and attend the seminars.

Required reading:

Cabré, Maria Teresa. Terminology: Theory, methods and applications, Amsterdam-Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 1999.

Erelt, Tiiu. Estonian Terminology, Tallinn: Valgus, 1982.

Tavast, Arvi. Estonian Terminological Dictionaries 1996–2000. – Keel ja Kirjandus, 2002 6 7.

Further reading:

Cabré, Maria Teresa. La terminologie: théorie, méthode et applications, Ottawa, Paris: Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa, Armand Colin, 1998.

Cabré, Maria Teresa. La terminología: Representación y comunicación, Barcelona: Universitat Pompeu Fabra, 1999.

Handbook of Terminology Management. Compiled by Sue Ellen Wright. Gerhard Budin. Amsterdam-Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 1997.

Sager, Juan C. A Practical Course in Terminology Processing, Amsterdam-Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 1990.

Temmerman, Rita. Towards new ways of terminology description: the sociocognitive approach, Amsterdam-Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 2000.

Wüster, Eugen. Einführung in die allgemeine Terminologielehre und terminologische Lexikographie, Kopenhagen Fachsprachliches Zentrum, 1985.

It should be noted that in 2002 the ISO standards for terminology work (ISO 1087 1 & 2: 2000) were translated into Estonian.

Estonian Language of Law Centre at the Ministry of Justice (ELLC)

(www.legaltext.ee) was established in 1995 on the initiative of Estonians in Canada, to ensure that Estonian legislation was properly translated into English. The Centre soon began translating EU legislation (acquis) into Estonian. The Latvian Translation and Terminology Centre was established on the Estonian model. ELLC has been engaged in terminology work since its establishment. The Terminology Department is compiling the concept-based ESTERM database, which contains 50,000 terms. In compiling this database, 800 specialists from various fields participate as experts. It can be considered the principal centre of Estonian terminography. The Terminology Department also leads several terminology projects (for example, NATO and military terminology, EUROVOC) and has prepared several smaller online databases. After Estonia became an EU member in May 2004 and the translation of the acquis into Estonian was completed, alongside translation the Centre will focus primarily on reviewing Estonian legal-document drafts and will work systematically in the field of legal language.

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The Terminology Department is beginning to develop a new legal terminology database, provide terminology assistance, and train all state institutions in legal terminology and terminography. Terminology dictionaries will be published if needed. The Centre will continue to participate in terminology projects together with other state institutions.

Estonian terminologists maintain good relations with INFOTERM and IITF. Consideration is currently being given to whether to become a member of NORDTERM. Estonia would welcome and support the desire of Latvian and Lithuanian terminologists to join EAFT. International cooperation in terminology is to be promoted by the second international terminology conference, The State of the Art (http://www.fcsh.unl.pt/termip/cit2003/indexen.htm), to be held in Lisbon in December 2003; the terminology meeting to be held in Barcelona in November 2004; and the terminology conference to be held in Berlin in summer 2005.

Proposals for cooperation. The best form of cooperation is regular exchange of information. Given that terminology work in EU institutions will continue to be carried out differently than it generally was in the previous decade (terminologists’ positions have been abolished, and terminologists no longer work on the IATE database), consideration should be given to how to help Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian translators in Brussels and Luxembourg resolve terminology problems, since the documents they translate will become the legislation of our countries.

Hiie TAMM

Estonian Language of Law Centre

Tõnismägi 8, Tallinn 10119 Estonia

Email: [email protected]

Received 2003-11-12

Translated by Jolanta GAIVENYTĖ-BUTLER

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