De la terminologie à la socioterminologie: étude de l’implantation terminologique
Abstract
Terminology (as a discipline) can be described as the scientific study of all the terms of a
particular domain, used in the specialty languages, while socioterminology is a branch of
terminology that is characterized by the study of the social circulation of terms and their
appropriation, which implies the analysis of language practices, discursive functioning and the
historical course of terms related to history of ideas. Terminological implantation therefore is
seen as one of the means by which official terms can be circulated in a language of a specialized
field or society. This means that implantation of official terms (proposed or standardized)
among users is, of course, one of the most essential steps for the success of terminological
activities in a language of a particular field or society in general.
However, with regards to the fact that for a successful implantation of official terms
(proposed or standardized) in a given language of a specialized field or society, the terms must
penetrate the users (it has to be received and used by the users); the aim of the present research
work is to examine the factors that promote implantation of terms in a society. To accomplish
this, we examined terms in the special field of automobile, compiled and published by the
Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) over forty years ago, in order to see if they are
still in circulation even today, seen that this field is one of the specialized fields where
implantation of terms has been carried out largely on the French language in Quebec society.