15152907 Topic 6 Technical Vocabulary

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X TOPIC 6 TECHNICAL VOCABULARY78

discipline itself, the need to be able to comprehend and use these terms usuallyarises during specialised training and not in language classes.

However, there may be times when you need to be familiar with the technicalelements and scientific vocabulary in a subject.

If you are interested in expanding your scientific and technical vocabulary, youmight consider using specialised dictionaries in your field such as A Dictionaryof Computing, A Dictionary of Mathematics or A Dictionary of ScientificCommunication. However, these specialised dictionaries tend to leave out wordsconsidered as semi-scientific or semi-technical vocabulary.

6.1.2 Semi-scientific or Semi-technical Vocabulary

Semi-technical vocabulary comprises words which are not specific to a subject

speciality but which occur regularly in scientific and technical texts, for example,employ, adopt, reflection, intense, accumulate, tendency and isolate.

This class of vocabulary can sometimes pose problems because the words maymean one thing in a general context but take on a different meaning within ascientific and technical context.

Take the word critical, for instance, In general English, critical is usuallyassociated with a decisive point or stage and therefore means importantor serious:

Examples: (a) The sick man is going through a crisis. He is in a criticalcondition.(b) There is a political crisis. The political situation is critical.

In technical English, one common meaning of critical is a decisive point intemperature, pressure or angle at which something is about to happen:

SELF-CHECK 6.1

Make a list of 10 highly technical words frequently used in your field ofstudy. Have a friend who is not in your field of study guess themeaning of the words.


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TOPIC 6 TECHNICAL VOCABULARY W 79

Examples: (a) The critical temperature of a gas: Above this temperature itcannot be liquefied by pressure.

(b) The critical temperature of steel: Above or below thistemperature, the molecular structure changes.

So, you have to orient yourself to the possibility of a different meaning that aword takes on when reading a technical text.

Now, try the following exercise to help you understand this lesson.

Consider the words resistance and value. Study the sentencesbelow:

1. Resistance(a) General English:

He tried to introduce computing to the old folks but ismeeting resistance.

(b) Technical English:The design of the ship has managed to reduce the effectsof wind resistance and drag.

2. Value(a) General English:

The value of the property is $1.5 million.

(b) Technical English:The velocity of flow is reduced to a negligible value.

Can you guess the meanings of resistance and value from thesentences provided as they appear in the two different contexts?

ACTIVITY 6.1


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FORMATION OF TECHNICAL WORDS

Knowledge about the way in which scientific and technical words are formedhelps us to understand the meaning of new technical words. The commonestmethod of forming scientific and technical terms is to use Latin or Greek rootstogether with affixes. These can be either prefixes or suffixes. Words such ashyper-, neo and mono- are known as prefixes because they appear beforea root word. Words such as -logy and -ate are known as suffixes becausethey appear after a root word.

Knowing the meaning of affixes will enable you to guess the meaning of a word.Certain affixes have contributed to a large number of different terms and have

established themselves as basic units in word formation. We will look at aselection of such affixes and how they contribute to the meaning of the word.

6.2.1 Suffixes

Let us look at three common suffixes in scientific and technical vocabulary:

x -ics;

x -scope; and

x -itis.

(a) The suffix -ics is often used to indicate a field of knowledge or science.Look at the following words:

(i) Economics The study of the way in which the financial industry andtrade are organised in a society.

(ii) Thermodynamics The branch of physics concerned with therelationship between heat and other forms of energy.

(iii) Mechanics The part of physics that deals with the natural forces thatact on moving or stationary objects.

(iv) Acoustics The scientific study of sound.

(b) Another suffix, scope, means an instrument for viewing in French. Forexample, telescope

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(c) Finally, the suffix itis usually refers to an inflammation of some sort.

Examples:

(i) dermatitis refers to inflammation of the skin.(ii) laryngitis refers to inflammation of the larynx.

6.2.2 Numeral Prefixes

Numbers abound in scientific and technical texts. Understanding numeralprefixes helps in deciphering the meaning of technical words. For example, theword diameter refers to a line that cuts a circle in half (the prefix di meanstwo). Monochrome means one colour (the prefix mono means one). The

prefix helps you in understanding the word. Read and understand the meaningsof the prefixes shown in Table 6.1.

Table 6.1: Examples of Numeral Prefixesmega 1000 000

kilo 1000

centi 100

deca 10

octa 8

hexa 6

penta 5

quad/tetra 4

tri 3

duo/di/bi 2

uni/mono 1

A word of caution: Be careful to avoid over-generalisation. For example, havinglearnt that pre means before, one might apply the rule to inappropriateexamples. Pretense, for example, might be misconstrued as before a tense.


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Do the following exercise before moving on to the next sub-topic.

WRITING FOR SPECIALIST ANDNON-SPECIALIST READERS

6.3.1 Specialist Readers

When writing for specialists, do not over explain. This means do not define,illustrate, paraphrase, exemplify or otherwise explain concepts the reader islikely to be already familiar with. Instead, simply refer to such concepts with the

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The following are words with the suffix -scope. Explain themeaning of these words without consulting a dictionary.

1. microscope, kaleidoscope, oscilloscope, telescope

2. Do a word analysis ofappendicitis, bronchitis and tonsilitis. Donot be tempted to use a dictionary.

3. Form five words by combining the root word provided in thetable below with either a prefix or suffix. Use the meaning of theaffixes provided below to help you in your selection.

Hint: Look out for affixes that suggest the meanings below:

beneath to make, to become the opposite very small without

Prefix Root word Suffix(a) sub- merge -tion

(b) in- liquid -ify

(c) dis- connect -ology

(d) micro second -y

(e) un- motion -less

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standard terminology of the field. Part of what it means to be a specialist in agiven field is to know the standard technical terminology in that field.

6.3.2 Non-specialist Readers

When writing for non-specialists, be sure to clarify and explain the importanttechnical concepts in your text. There are several ways to do this. Visuals, ofcourse, should be used whenever the concept is suited to visual representation(please refer to Topic 5). However, if a concept is too abstract to be representedvisually, you have to look out for other ways to get your message across.

(a) ExemplificationCiting specific examples of a concept is one of the most powerful means you

can use to help the non-specialist reader visualise the concept. This methoduses an example, or series of examples, to support or clarify a point.

Look at the example below:

Web page designers must never include more than one or two pageelements that move constantly. Moving images have an overpoweringeffect on vision and distract the viewer from observing other elements.Some instances of misused moving elements include animated

graphics, blinking text and scrolling marquees.

It is also useful to recognise exemplification when reading a text. Look outfor words which signal exemplification, or transitional structures, such asthe ones below:

(i) To illustrate ...

(ii) Another illustration of ...

(iii) A case in point is ...

(iv) Here are a few examples ...

(v) For instance, ...(vi) Another instance of ...

(vii) For example, ...

(viii) Another example of ...

(ix) Some instances ...

(x) One such in particular ...


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(xi) Yet another ...

(xii) One illustration of this idea ...

(b) AnalogyAnalogies help to explain an unfamiliar concept by highlighting itssimilarities to another concept which is familiar to you. They are especiallyuseful in situations where the new concept is so unfamiliar that you simplycannot think of any example which can help explain it.

For example, electricity may be very difficult for some people tounderstand. You cannot see, feel, taste or smell it. Drawing an analogybetween electricity and water would be useful to promote understanding(see Figure 6.1). For example, fluid flowing through a system of pipes can

behave in many respects like electricity flowing in a circuit.

Figure 6.1: Use of analogy to explain difficult conceptsThe obvious exception to this is that if you pierce a pipe full of water, thewater rushes out. Try piercing the insulation and touching the conductor:you will also find the electricity coming out! The difference is, water will fillany space whereas electricity will fill only a conductor. The analogy isthus not perfect but it is helpful. Remember that when we use analogies,understanding comes not only from similarities but also from differences.

(c) Paraphrasing using substitute wordsParaphrases are useful in precisely the opposite situation where the conceptis familiar to the reader but only if restated in more recognisable terms.Paraphrases have a distinct advantage over examples and analogies in thatthey usually take less space; sometimes even a one-word paraphrase willaccomplish the purpose. We will talk about substitute words which cansometimes replace semi-technical words.


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Since scientific and technical texts usually abound in technical terms, it ishelpful to use shorter and simpler words whenever possible. Let us look atsome examples of substitute words.

Using substitute words instead of technical words can sometimes enhanceyour understanding, as shown in Table 6.2.

Table 6.2: Examples of Technical Words and Substitute WordsTechnical words Substitute words

1. ambulate walk

2. bacteria germs

3. coronary thrombosis heart attack

4. demonstrate show

5. incision cut

6. saturate soak

(d) DefinitionsDefinitions are a familiar way of explicating new concepts. They are notfixed indications of meaning. Defining a word involves giving its limits as asign or symbol, usually by explaining to the reader how we use the word.

Signal words or indicator words such as the following will help you torecognise definitions in a text.

(i) means

(ii) is

(iii) signifies

(iv) denotes

(v) can be taken to mean

(vi) can be interpreted as

(vii) is defined as

Various ways of defining an object, mechanism, procedure or process have beendiscussed and explored in Topic 1.

You have looked at ways to write for specialist and non-specialist readers. Testyour understanding by participating in the following activity.


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x Highly technical and semi-technical vocabulary are words that we use in

writing or oral presentations.

x We must be very careful when choosing the words as we need to ensure thatour target audience can understand what we say.

x Every subject has a set of highly technical terms which are an essential part oflearning the discipline itself.

x Semi-technical vocabulary consists of words which are not specific to asubject speciality but which occur regularly in scientific and technical texts.

1. Match each word with its meaning.

(a) tripartite (i) made of four parts

(b) kilocycle (ii) 10 litres

(c) pentagon (iii) of an age from 80 to 89

(d) quadruple (iv) in which three parties have a share

(e) decalitre (v) five-sided figure

(f) octogenarian (vi) having six angles

(g) hexangular (vii) having 1000 cycles

2. Write substitute words for the following technical words.

(a) palatable ______________________________________

(b) termination______________________________________

(c) recuperate ______________________________________

(d) rehabilitate______________________________________

(e) segment ______________________________________

(f) sensation ______________________________________

(g) sufficient ______________________________________

(h) sustenance ______________________________________(i) sutures ______________________________________

(j) technicality_____________________________________

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x It is very important for us to identify our target audience to gauge whetherthey are specialists or non-specialists in the area or field we are presenting in.

x

A knowledge of the way in which scientific and technical words are formedhelps us to understand the meaning of technical words.

x The most common method of forming science and technical terms is to useLatin or Greek roots together with affixes.

x Hyper, neo and mono are known as prefixes because they appearbefore the root word.

x -ics, -scope, -itis are known as suffixes because they appear after the

root word.

Affixes

Analogy

Exemplification

Highly technical vocabulary

Prefixes

Semi-scientific vocabulary

Semi-technical vocabulary

Suffixes

15152907 Topic 6 Technical Vocabulary

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