Theory of terminology and cognitive linguistics: on categorization, definition and nomination

The aim of this paper is to outline, comment upon and illustrate some new subjects (prototypicality, cognitive models, etc.) which cognitive linguistics offers to the traditional theory of terminology and to the semantic analysis of specialized terms. The paper therefore deals with questions such as: What significance does cognitive information (reflecting a naive, non-specialized view of the world) have for terms? How can such information be used in the study of categorization and conceptualization of the contents of terms? By making use of findings from both traditional lexicology and semantics and from the cognitive sciences, and by using medical terminology as its material, the paper presents the processes of direct and indirect nomination as they relate to terminologization and determinologization. A selection of terms and names relating to the human body, its parts and organs and to human health or diseases is used to confront the scientific and cognitive approaches. The theoretical starting point, concerning the task of corporeality in human cognition, is applied in the analysis of the different kinds of reflection of cognition in medical terminology. The processes of categorization and nominalization of objective reality are also considered as they are reflected in the onomasiological structures of terms.