
v
ABSTRACT
This study seeks to examine the specialized nature of certain verbs and adjectives
in specialized discourse. It hypothesizes that certain verbs and adjectives, when used in
specialized discourse, undergo semantic remodulation, which gives rise to new
meanings and makes them exclusive to a specialized context. Since they are exclusive to
a specialized discursive situation, this study holds that they are domain terminology.
Owing to a theoretical gap in the discipline of terminology, it has generally
ignored verbs and adjectives. Here I examine both, using Meaning-Text theory’s lexical
analysis model of Explanatory and Combinatorial Lexicology (ECL) (Mel’čuk et al.
1995), presented in the Dictionnaire explicatif et combinatoire (Mel’čuk et al. 1984,
1988, 1992 et 1999).
This thesis comprises seven chapters, the first of which introduces its subject,
objectives, hypothesis, theoretical framework and general structure.
The second chapter examines the problematic of the semantic remodulation of
Brazilian Portuguese verbs and adjectives used in “micro-informatics”. It also look at
questions of semantic borrowing, the influence of translations in the formation of
specialized vocabularies and the linguistic knowledge necessary for translation and
specialized writing. This study is located within specialized language and, for this
reason, examines the notion of specialized language vis-à-vis general language. Since it
uses a lexicological model for lexical analysis, it examines the notion of specialized
lexicology.
The third chapter examines the notions of concept and signifié, on which this
study is based, as well as a large number of notions used in traditional terminology. It
also examines a new analytical perspective of “term”, which gives rise to a descriptive
terminology. The notion of “term” is examined from a prescriptive point of view
(traditional terminology) as well as from a descriptive point of view (descriptive
terminology). Finally, a number of the findings from the examination of terminology are
compared with lexicology.
The fourth chapter sets out the theoretical framework, specifically the principles,