La terminologia i la planificació lingüística

Resum

In order to determine the important position held by terminology in linguistic planning as a whole, the author defines the latter's different aspects. The goal of the prescriptive codifying of the Standard register and its specialization are outlined. These represent two stages in linguistic planning which together make up the corpus planning of language, in which terminology is inscribed. The difference between codifying the general lexicon and making up terminologies is expounded, although both processes complement each other. The next section in this article refers to the social framework of the corpus planning. The prescriptive codification of a Standard register corresponds to the emergence of a linguistic community which needs a common vehicle of communication. This codified register undergoes processes of functional specialization as it spreads through a constantly changing society. Regarding the main relationship between language status planning and terminological activity, the author judges that cooperation between the latter and linguistic policy is indispensable to guarantee the use and extension of the language, in this case Catalan. TERMCAT, a body created by the Catalan Autonomous Government and the Institute for Catalan Studies, acts as a general nerve-centre for terminological activity in Catalan. The steps made in the first stage of this data bank are de described, as are its present aims and its organization. Lastly, the author mentions the role played by terminology in linguistic standardization programmes in official bodies. In such bodies, a change in language behaviour, whose basic outline is given, is thought to favour the future extension of the Catalan language.