Semantic Processes In The French Language Economic Vocabulary
Abstract
The development of terminology, from the moment of its formation to the present day, constantly arouses interest among linguists who use data on the mechanisms of development of these linguistic subsystems to model and study the features of the evolution and functioning of the language as a whole. From our point of view, the analysis of economic terminology is currently especially relevant, since the market economy is one of the most rapidly changing spheres of human activity. This, in turn, requires the language to respond appropriately, primarily at the lexical level. This article is focused on the study of some aspects of the development of French economic terminology. Methods of semantic word formation are among the active and productive models of the formation of new terms in the French language. The article describes various types of semantic word formation in the economic vocabulary of the French language (functional transposition, phraseologization, semantic homonymy, terminology, reterminologization, determinologization) and changes in the structure of the meaning of a terminological unit, which leads to the appearance of a polysemy of terms. The conclusions drawn on the basis of the analysis performed can be useful both in the training of translators specializing in economic translation, and in increasing the efficiency of the use of terminology in the process of professional communication.
Keywords: French, economic terminology, semantic word formation
Introduction
Terminology is a prerequisite for the existence of any branch of knowledge. Their development is interconnected. Active processes taking place in the world economy inevitably entail changes in the economic terminology. This determines the relevance of the study of economic terminology. The processes occurring in this part of the dictionary of any national language attract the attention of various specialists, since their analysis allows us to understand not only the specifics of the functioning of this terminology system, but the mechanisms of the development of the language as a whole (Bylina et al., 2019; Goncharova & Shemyakina, 2020; Kuznetsov et al., 2020; Samigullina et al., 2019).
The subject of consideration is semantic processes in economic terminology. Research carried out in this area is of great importance not only for terminography and lexicography, but also for the theory and practice of translation.
Problem Statement
In lexicology, there are still disputes over the definition of the term "term". Usually it is interpreted as a neutral nominative unit of language, the content of which reflects the specifics of a particular sphere of human activity (Athu, 2012; Shair, 2016; Superanskaya et al., 2019). Economic terminology satisfies the needs of communication in an area that affects all spheres of life of a modern person. Its dualism lies in the fact that, in functional and structural terms, economic terminology is a relatively independent system, it is inextricably linked with the national language. Economic terms have much in common with common vocabulary from categorical-grammatical and lexical-semantic points of view. As a result, in the development of economic terminology, its own characteristics and patterns are revealed, which, in spite of a certain specificity, reflect the main trends in the evolution of the entire language. Many works have been devoted to the dynamic development of this term system in the structure of the French language (Nechayeva, 2016; etc.). Currently, linguists are actively studying the problem of semantic word formation in terminology (Denisova & Telesheva, 2020; Gorokhova, 2021; Gavrilova, 2020; Kraevskaya, 2020; Kraevskaya & Mishankina, 2020; Zolotaiko, 2020) but, unfortunately, the semantic processes taking place in the French economic vocabulary have not yet received due attention.
Research Questions
3.1. What is the specificity of semantic word formation in French economic terminology?
3.2. What semantic processes contribute to the enrichment of the economic terminology system of the French language?
3.3. What models of the development of the structure of the meaning of a terminological unit lead to the appearance of ambiguous terms?
Purpose of the Study
The creation of economic terms goes in different ways, using borrowing, morphological and semantic word formation. With morphological word formation, the original verbal material is modified according to certain models. In this case, the result can be both prefix, suffix, analytical and complex lexemes, and complex abbreviated, truncated words (Kulakova, 2021). The present study aims to study and describe the semantic word formation in French economic terminology. Based on the study of theoretical sources and analysis of linguistic material, it is proposed to establish the basic laws of semantic processes occurring in this term system.
Research Methods
The research was conducted within the framework of a pragmatic and cognitive approach. When studying the lexical composition, component, contextual and comparative methods were used with the use of data from the structural-semantic and derivational analysis of economic terms, selected by the method of continuous sampling from financial and economic, commercial dictionaries and articles of the French media (Les Echos, L'Entreprise, Le Figaro.fr. économie, Le Monde économique, Problèmes économiques, La Tribune; etc.). To present the results of studying the features of semantic transformations in the French economic language, a descriptive method was applied.
Findings
Semantic word formation leads to the creation of lexemes in which the semantic or functional-semantic characteristics change while maintaining the original expression plan. In semantic word formation, such phenomena as conversion, phraseologization, semantic homonymy, polysemy, terminology and determinology are observed.
Conversion
Functional transposition is a characteristic feature of the French language. It assumes that a word of one part of speech becomes a source of derivation for the appearance of a lexeme related to another lexical-grammatical class. Due to a pronounced tendency towards analyticism, the French language often resorts to one of the varieties of this phenomenon - conversion, in which the original and new units are formally identical, only the syntactic function and the morphological paradigm of the lexeme change. Conversion in French is traditionally represented mainly by substantiation of various parts of speech (Isaev & Myachin, 2019). The largest number of word formations in economic terminology falls on the verb (impersonal forms: participles and infinitives), then the adjective and adverb, respectively, go in terms of productivity: participe passé → N: аccusé (de réception de commande), relevé (de compte); participe présent → N: détaillant, avenant; infinitif → N: pouvoir (d'achat), avoir; adjectif → N: actif et passif, bon (de reduction), prêt; adverbe → N: biens.
Phraseologization
Despite the fact that the topic of economic texts presupposes a certain neutrality of presentation, in the French economic discourse (especially in journalistic materials) semantic transformations are observed, in which the connection between the combination of lexemes, on the one hand, and their lexical and grammatical meanings, on the other, is weakened. As a result, phraseological units are formed. As a rule, due to frequent use, such expressions lose their original figurativeness, acquiring a terminological character. For the French language, phraseologization is most characteristic, in which a partial motivation of the analytical unit remains. In doing so, we highlight:
- phraseological combinations, suggesting the possibility of replacing individual words with synonyms: baisse/ chute des prix, as well as the inclusion of additional elements in their structure chute libre des prix;
- phraseological unity with limited lexical compatibility: facilités – opportunity, favorable conditions; facilités de paiement – credit facilities.
In economic discourse, one can also find phraseological adhesions (idioms) that add expressiveness to the text: fer (m) de lance – backbone (of economy), leading industry or main sector, fleuron (m) du secteur – industry flagship. Analysis of the linguistic material indicates that this occurs mainly through the formation of a figurative meaning based on metaphorization.
Often, when metaphorizing, the language resorts to the use of vocabulary from other areas of activity (internal borrowings). Let's give just one example of such gastronomic borrowing: cerise sur le gâteau – nice bonus.
Semantic homonymy
Homonymy occupies an important place in semantic derivation in the economic sphere. Its reasons are varied. Homonymy most often arises when the connections between the meanings of a polysemantic word are broken due to the loss of common semes. At the same time, a special definition is assigned to lexemes: rendement, m (1 efficiency, productivity, efficiency, efficiency, efficiency; 2 yield, productivity; 3 power, bandwidth) – rendement, m (profitability). The reason for semantic homonymy can be the lexicalization of the grammatical forms of the number: économie (economy) – économies (savings); diminutive: cerisette (cherry) – cerisette (market conditions tax) and so forth. Less commonly, it is caused by a conversion, for example, substantiating an adjective: gros, adj (large, significant) – gros, m (wholesale).
Polysemy
It is interesting to note that in economic terminology there is a tendency to such a change in the structure of the meaning of a terminological unit, which leads to the emergence of ambiguous terms: cote – 1 quotation, rate; 2 exchange rate bulletin, list of securities; 3 quota, share, share; 4 the amount of tax. Although this phenomenon corresponds to the principle of economy of language (one form – many meanings), sometimes it can complicate communication, creating certain problems for understanding and translation. The development of the structure of the meaning of an economic term can go through 2 main models:
- with irradiation, there is an asymmetry between the content plan and the expression plan: different concepts, based on a common feature, receive one name:
→ invoice;
compte m → financial report;
→ financial transaction record;
- during concatenation, there is a sequential transfer of the name of one concept to another based on different signs: courtage, m → brokerage services → intermediation – commission for intermediation (agency fee); detail, m → detail, trifle, part → retail → retailer.
In some cases, an even greater complication of the meaning structure is observed. In this case, a combination of irradiation and concatenation occurs:
→ postponement;
→ delivery;
remise, f → exemption (from payment) → discount;
→ commission;
→ funds to be credited to a bank account → transfer (money) → order security.
6.5. Terminology and determinology
In a national language, there are no impenetrable boundaries between common vocabulary and terms. Active migration processes within the vocabulary create the preconditions for intra-lingual borrowing, which leads to terminology, re-terminology, despecialization and determinologization.
The essence of terminology lies in the fact that a common word acquires terminological meaning due to specialization and the acquisition of a new special function. At the heart of this process in economic terminology is mainly metaphorization: credit, m (trust) - credit, m (credit) In a national language, there are no impenetrable boundaries between common vocabulary and terms. Active migration processes within the vocabulary create the preconditions for intra-lingual borrowing, which leads to terminology, re-terminology, despecialization and determinologization.
The essence of terminology lies in the fact that a common word acquires terminological meaning due to specialization and the acquisition of a new special function. At the heart of this process in economic terminology is mainly metaphorization: credit, m (trust) - credit, m (credit). With terminology in the language of economics, the formation of an analytical lexical unit most often occurs: lettre (letter, note) - lettre de change (bill of exchange), lettre de credit (letter of credit), lettre de transport (air transport bill of lading), lettre de voiture (road bill of lading).
With reterminologization, a term is transferred from one terminology system to another. It is used both to enrich economic terminology by concatenation: fuite (leakage, leakage) → fuite de capitaux (capital flight), and for the emergence of new terms in other spheres of human activity due to the irradiation of meaning based on metaphorization: banque (bank) → banque de sang (blood bank), banque de données (data bank), banque de mots (word bank).
An increase in the level of education, an increase in people's awareness thanks to the work of the media, the morphological motivation of a derivative word lead to the despecialization of the term, that is, to the possibility of its use in other contexts without the need for explanation, and in the future, to determinologization or the transition of the term into a common language: dévaluation (devaluation ) - dévaluation des valeurs universelles (devaluation of universal values). The difference between the phenomena lies in the fact that in the first case, the term retains its terminological meaning, and in the second, it receives a new, non-narrowly specialized meaning.
Conclusion
The economic terminology system is a complex formation that is an integral and organic part of the lexical system of the French language. Obeying the laws common to terminological systems, it nevertheless possesses a number of unique features. An active source of its development at the present time is semantic word formation, which, in accordance with the principle of economy of language, helps to satisfy the communicative needs of society in the field of economics, without creating new forms. Analysis of semantic processes in economic terminology helps a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of the emergence of new meanings in already existing lexemes, optimization of professional communication and solving problems arising in the translation of economic texts.
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Kulakova, E. (2021). Semantic Processes In The French Language Economic Vocabulary. In D. Y. Krapchunov, S. A. Malenko, V. O. Shipulin, E. F. Zhukova, A. G. Nekita, & O. A. Fikhtner (Eds.), Perishable And Eternal: Mythologies and Social Technologies of Digital Civilization, vol 120. European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural Sciences (pp. 335-341). European Publisher. https://doi.org/10.15405/epsbs.2021.12.03.45