UŽSIENIO VAGOS

Tiu ERELT

HOW ESTONIAN TERMINOLOGY IS FARING

In Estonia, which has regained its independence, firm legal foundations have been laid for the preservation of the Estonian language. In 1988, Estonian was declared the state language, and non-Estonians wishing to become citizens of the Republic of Estonia are also required to learn it. The language is defended and celebrated in ringing words. Yet Estonians themselves often show even more indifference to their language culture than before. During the years of occupation, Estonian was cherished as something sacred, whereas in independent Estonia people are beginning to regard it with indifference. The decline in language culture is felt everywhere—in the press as well as in the streets of Tallinn (the language of the new entrepreneurs!). Instead of the imposed Russian, people now willingly prostrate themselves before English and Finnish.

Conflicting views are spreading through Estonian society: some propose allowing the language to develop on its own, influenced by internal and external factors (Let your language alone!), while others call on linguists for help, with the more severe even reproaching them for passivity. And linguists, in standardizing the language, do everything they can—and even a little more. Unfortunately, there have always been few specialists in language standardization in Estonia. The Estonian nation is small, but all languages are equally large, after all. The linguists who work on terminology alongside their other duties could be counted on the fingers of one hand. And there is a tremendous amount of work. Society is changing the terminology of many fields, refining its forms and meanings, and wants to do so very quickly. English and Finnish have a very strong influence on professional language (Fachsprache), while Swedish and German have little influence; some fields even face the threat of Estonian being displaced. There are also specialists in certain fields who declare that “the whole world speaks English,” so why should Estonians try to say everything in their own language, in Estonian? Fortunately, those who think this way are a minority. The solid foundations and principles for the development of Estonian terminology laid in the past survived the period of Russification (let us recall the principle of the smallest differences—принцип минимальных расхождений), and so will presumably withstand the current influx of new languages, driven by rapid socioeconomic change.

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The economic changes have been particularly substantial. For the first time, Estonian economic terminology has now come within the sphere of English influence. Until 1940 it was developed and organized according to German terminology, and for the past 50 years according to Russian terminology. Paraphrasing the saying “Help yourself, and God will help you,” Professor Uno Mereste, Chairman of the Board of the Bank of Estonia, said: “Economists, help yourselves, and linguists will help you!” Unfortunately, the help of linguists has so far been relatively limited, but economists themselves are working productively. In 1992, an “Explanatory Dictionary of English–Estonian Economic Terms,” compiled by eighteen specialists and edited by Uno Mereste, was published (an Estonian–English terms index was also included). The dictionary was published by the press of the Institute for Economic Management of Estonia, which has become a center for developing the language of economics. A dictionary of labor economics and wage terms was published there as well, and dictionaries of accounting and trade (marketing) terminology were prepared (all three are English–Estonian). Other authors have also published short economic glossaries, as well as business dictionaries based on English or Finnish terminology. Unfortunately, some of these are very poor, owing to expediency, haste, or simply lack of expertise. Two major dictionaries are now being prepared in earnest: a four-language dictionary of banking terminology and a five-language dictionary of stock exchange terminology.

The concepts and terms of politics, public administration, and law are undergoing fundamental change. Here, the terminology that took shape in the Republic of Estonia in the 1930s is usually taken as the basis. But given that half a century has passed since then, it is really only a starting point. Many terms have to be created anew. For example, the ongoing reform of local self-government bodies has brought the concepts and terms in this field to the fore. Finland is providing substantial assistance with this reform, and a joint working group has therefore been set up to record the principal concepts and terms of municipal politics, economics, law, and technology. A large dictionary of legal terms is being compiled, and a Finnish–Estonian legal glossary relevant to the close ties between the two countries is also expected to appear soon. Linguists Rein Kull and Aime Vettik played the most important roles in compiling these dictionaries. The unsuccessful “English–Estonian Law Dictionary,” published in Tartu in 1993, should also be mentioned here.

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The situation with technical terminology is more stable. With the support of the Presidium of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, technical specialists established the Center for Technical Language. It plans to compile multilingual glossaries for narrow fields of specialization (for example, the glossary “Standardization and Certification,” published in 1992). These dictionaries are also entered into computers. This will help in preparing new, more extensive technical dictionaries in the future (until now, only one Russian–Estonian dictionary, published in 1975, had appeared). At the same time, a technical terminology bank will gradually be created with the help of computers.

The tradition of compiling multilingual terminology dictionaries, established over the past two decades, remains alive today. As a small nation, Estonians generally have to borrow concepts from elsewhere, so terminologists must not only clarify concepts but also understand how they are expressed in other languages. Examples from several languages provide more ideas for creating their own terms and, ultimately, a wider choice when borrowing. Dictionary users also require equivalents in other languages. In 1991, Ustus Agur, Vello Hanson, and Rein Kull’s “English–Russian–Estonian Dictionary of Computer Technology” was published; in 1992, Viktor Korrovits and Henn Käämbre’s “Estonian–English–Russian Dictionary of Physics”; and that same year Viktor Masing’s “Explanatory Dictionary of Ecological Terms,” with Estonian–German–English–Russian equivalents, appeared. In 1993, Heido Ots published a “Dictionary of Motor Vehicles” (alongside the Estonian terms, it gives German, English, and Russian terms, with the Finnish terms in a separate booklet), and so on. Among the larger works still in preparation, a five-language (Estonian–English–German–Russian–Finnish) dictionary of pedagogy should be mentioned. Incidentally, terms in these same languages are also included in the aforementioned legal dictionary.

A second aim of terminologists is that dictionary users should not only find the term they are looking for, but also obtain some information about the concept it denotes. There are two main types of terminology dictionaries (excluding specialized encyclopedias). In one type—explanatory dictionaries—every term included in the terminology is explained (examples include the “Explanatory Dictionary of Ecological Terms” and the “Encyclopedic Dictionary of Maritime Terms,” which is due to appear soon). In dictionaries of the second type, notes or explanations (there is little consistency in this regard) are provided only for some terms—

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for readers (an effort is made to anticipate readers’ needs) – new concepts are defined, concepts that raise disputes over the limits or scope of their content are explained, as are concepts denoted by modified or rare terms, and so on. Where the headword describes the concept clearly enough, explanations are unnecessary. The aforementioned dictionaries of pedagogy and law were prepared in this way. Sometimes it is useful to present explanations differently. For example, in the “Automotive Dictionary,” terms are divided into 25 conceptual sections: A – automobile, B – engine, C – crankshaft and connecting-rod mechanism, D – gas distribution, <...> V – maintenance and repair, X – transport, Y – road, driving, road traffic, Z – general automotive engineering topics. Alphabetical indexes of terms in five languages follow. The dictionary contains few verbal explanations, but the concepts are illustrated very well by drawings.

Terms are usually explained in Estonian, since the dictionaries themselves are primarily intended for Estonians. If it is expected that the dictionary will be used by non-Estonians as well, it is useful to prepare two (or more) identical sections of the dictionary. This is how the dictionary of local-government terminology, being prepared jointly with the Finns, is compiled: its Estonian–Finnish section gives explanations in Estonian, while the Finnish–Estonian section gives them in Finnish.

Demographers prepared a distinctive dictionary (not yet published). They took as its basis an international dictionary whose text is given in ten languages, while demographic concepts are explained in relation to the system of that subject area. The English text was translated into Estonian (consulting texts in other languages whenever necessary). In the Estonian section of the dictionary, in addition to the main section—the Estonian text—an alphabetical index of English–Estonian terms has been added.

The preparation of terminology standards had been interrupted for three or four years. It seemed that no institution had the money for this work. There is debate over whether it is acceptable in principle to standardize terms as linguistic units. Estonian terminologists hold that standards are small, carefully prepared dictionaries of narrow specialties or conceptual fields, in which terms are provided with explanations. If agreement was reached during preparation, why should agreed terms, with their mutually agreed content, not be used! After all, leaving terminology unregulated is no better. So it is good that, after the hiatus, seven previously prepared terminology standards have now been published, and new institutions have taken an interest in this work. The State Standards Department—

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prepares state standards, including terminology standards. The Central Estonian Union of Industry compiles industrial standards on the basis of ISO standards—the standard “Quality Terminology” has already been published. The company “Mainor,” also interested in preparing industrial standards, has already published “Names of Chemical Fibres.” There are other bodies preparing terminology standards as well.

Summing up the results of practical work, one must conclude that intensive work to develop terminology is continuing. Intensive, despite how difficult that might seem, given that there is now a shortage of money everywhere and for everything. The establishment of new specialist terminology centres (for economics and technology), which prepare and publish dictionaries with the ESM, is encouraging.

There are still quite a number of experienced editors of terminology texts, provided, of course, that they can be paid for their work. Unfortunately, some editorial positions have been eliminated, with young editors affected first. This may have negative consequences in the future.

The situation is even bleaker for theoretical research. Neither at the Estonian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Language and Literature¹ nor at other institutions is anyone engaged in scholarly research on terminology. Language-standardization specialists are busy either preparing an orthoepic dictionary or organizing names and designations. The Institute’s and the entire Estonian Academy of Sciences’ material resources are limited, but everything must be done to ensure that the theory and methodology of terminology survive as a field of research. Otherwise, the quality of practical work cannot be maintained. Apparently, the time has come when Estonian terminology needs active young people who can also provide material support for their own research. Nevertheless, some topics in terminology are so important that they should be funded from the resources of some foundation.

And a few more stirring words. Every nation creates its own language and cares for its preservation and development. Estonians, too, will surely have the will and strength to develop the Estonian special-purpose language and terminology.

Translated by Audronė Šalkauskaitė

¹ When this publication was being printed, the Estonian Language Institute was established by separating it from that institute (Ed.’s note).

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