Bilingualisation in Practice: Terminological Issues in Bilingualising a Specialised Glossary

Abstract

This paper presents the theoretical discussion emerging from the bilingualisation of an English specialised glossary of sociolinguistic terminology into Greek. The theoretical considerations related to the bilingualisation of a glossary, the practical solutions suggested, and the significance of the latter for the bilingualisation of specialised terminology, as well as for lexicographical theory and practice are discussed. Emphasis is given to the reasons why the suggested solutions and practices can be useful for (bilingual) lexicographers, who are expected to provide not only a list of translational equivalents for terminology, but also well-written and comprehensible lemmas helping users both understand the meaning and use of the terminology involved and produce texts including this terminology. In this context, the idiosyncrasies of Greek are taken into consideration: Greek is not dominant language spoken by a community usually importing scientific and technical knowledge, where standardisation appears to be of vital importance.