Marine Makhatadze
PhD student at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: 0000-0003-1922-4971
Marine Makhatadze
PhD student at Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University
Tbilisi, Georgia
ORCID: 0000-0003-1922-4971
Ecolexicography as a New Paradigm for Representing Environmental Terms in Georgian-English Thematic Dictionary
Abstract
Today's interpretations of how language and ecology are intertwined range widely. Many linguists use 'ecology' metaphorically as a reference to 'linguistic context' or 'language environment' to describe minority-language-related issues embedded in sociolinguistic, educational, economic, or political settings. Others have specific definitions and subcategories (Fill & Mühlhäusler, 2001; Tsunoda, 2005).
Originating from lexicography and ecolinguistics, eco-lexicography was first proposed by Sarmento (2000) who stresses the importance of dictionaries for promoting linguistic diversity, socio-cultural harmony, and environmental sustainability. Ecolexicography deals not only with the production of ecological dictionaries but also with the production of general, specialized or thematic dictionaries focusing on environmental terminology. Since lexical units used in scientific texts very often become part of the main vocabulary of a language, these units should be introduced into general dictionaries as well. In writing definitions of ecological terms and topics, lexicographers can implicitly or explicitly reinforce the users' environmental protection awareness.
The aims of our research are: a) to use the eco-lexicographic methodology and propose a microstructure of the entries so that they are committed to ecosystem protection and help address overarching ecological challenges like biodiversity loss; b) to document Georgian terms related to the environment and ecological practices, which can help preserve the linguistic heritage.
The empirical data of the research while selecting the microstructure of the material is based on the dictionaries: "Ideographical Dictionary of the Georgian Language" by B. Pochkhua and The Explanatory Dictionary of the Georgian Language. The word list has been categorized into several conceptual domains, like inorganic environments, plants, and animals. As ecology is an evolving field, environment-related lexis has also been retrieved from legal documents, such as the resolutions about biodiversity of the Government of Georgia. For eco-lexicographic purposes, some of the collected headwords were checked in the Red list of Georgia, whether they are vulnerable or endangered species (e.g., ბრუცა, ქურციკი, ნიამორი, უთხოვარი).
The significance of this research is based on the fact that many of the selected environmental terms do not include eco-lexicographic approaches in Georgian-English dictionaries. Research on eco-lexicography, particularly in the context of Georgian environmental lexis, is still in its infancy. However, it is essential to establish a foundation for further exploration of this approach and reconsider the cognitive and socio-cultural processes of dictionary compilation and use from a fresh perspective.
Keywords: ecolexicography, thematic dictionary, socio-culture, environment, ecosystem, metalexicography.