Ms. Albina, you are attending our conference Terminology – Heritage and Modernity for the third time, for which I would like to thank you first of all. Georgians and Lithuanians always had a special bond with each other. I was convinced of this once again in Vilnius. As I know, you also like Georgia.
I like Georgia very much, and not only the country’s landscape, Tbilisi’s architecture, but Georgia’s cultural heritage, its culture, songs and dances have been impressed. Georgia is deeply fascinated by the hospitality and sincerity of its people.
The Lithuanian Language Institute made a great impression on me, on the one hand, it is the museum created with special respect for old scientists, and on the other hand, the work of your institute adjusted to European standards. Not all countries, as we know, have been able to maintain research institutes. What do you think, maybe the time will come when the language research institute will lose its function in Lithuania.
The Institute of the Lithuanian Language is a governmental scientific institute. It‘s mission: to develop new fundamental and applied knowledge of the Lithuanian language and writings, compile, structure, digitalize and disseminate intangible linguistic heritage, address issues of the development and functioning of the language that are relevant to the state and the public, support Lithuanian studies around the world, develop digital resources.
I believe that such a scientific institute must not lose its functions and must operate and study the Lithuanian language on an ongoing basis, as language changes, faces many challenges of globalization. It is necessary to analyze the old sources that have not yet been studied, to study language changes, and to envisage ways of preserving and developing it in this age of digital and artificial intelligence. It is important to bear in mind that language is the basis not only of the Nation but also of the State. I hope that Lithuanian will remain the state language in Lithuania while the State of Lithuania is alive, so language research will also be important.
I often speak and write about the problems of Georgian terminology, which, first of all, was caused by the reduction of the function of the Institute of Linguistics and the absence of a terminological policy. In Georgia, parallel, uncoordinated work in terminology is common, which leads to the wrong use of human and financial resources. What is the situation in Lithuania? How do you manage terminological work?
The State Commission of the Lithuanian Language has been carrying out organizational work of terminology management since 1993, planning terminology and shaping terminology policy in Lithuania. It evaluates dictionaries, terminology standards and approves term sets for legal acts and draft laws, it supports the compilation and publishing of dictionaries and announces tenders for the compilation of various specific dictionaries and finances their compilation.
At the end of 2003, the Law on the Term Bank of the Republic of Lithuania was adopted to regulate the creation, management and funding of term bank. Thus, for twenty years terminology management in Lithuania has been regulated by the law and on this basis the Term Bank was created and is administered by the Language Commission. This bank is created as a common information system of state institutions administered by the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language. The address of this term bank is http://terminai.vlkk.lt/.
Most terminological research is carried out at the Centre of Terminology of the Institute of the Lithuanian Language, whereas at Lithuanian universities terminological research is carried out by individual scholars only. At the Institute of the Lithuanian Language, the Centre of Terminology operates with the aim of researching Lithuanian terminology and terminography and analyzing the functioning of Lithuanian terms of different fields.
Every year, the Centre of Terminology prepares and publishes the international research journal Terminologija (Terminology). The first journal appeared in 1994 and the 28nd issue has been issued last year.
Researchers of the Centre of Terminology also engage in quite a substantial amount of practical terminological work as they cooperate with the Language Commission as experts, participate in the activity of its Terminology Subcommittee, provide expertise and deliberate on Lithuanian terms included into Term bank. Most employees of the Centre of Terminology assist terminological dictionary compilers as linguists-terminologists and provide consultations.
In most areas, Lithuanian language terms are managed considerably well, the principles of term creation and ways of their management, directions of organization of terminological work and activities have settled, terminological work is carried out in cooperation with specialists and terminologists working at different Lithuanian and European Union institutions.
Georgia has fallen behind the digital age, and this scares us a lot, because it could be late to include the Georgian language and Georgian normative terminology in the European databases. In your opinion, what is needed to properly manage terminological work in Georgia or another country?
I think it is very important that the terminology is managed in an organized manner and with the concern of the state. Individual enthusiasts can do a lot, but in this digital age, it is essential that qualified terminology teams do this. In addition to having its own term bank, each country needs to explore ways of integrating it into European databases through Euro Term Bank, European Language Grid.
Vukol Beridze Association for Terminology of Georgia is a member of two European terminological societies (EAFT, Infoterm). Membership of Infoterm is thanks to you, for which we thank you once again. Mr. Christian Galinsky, the current chairman of Infoterm, continues to collaborate with us. It was with his advice that we translated the terminological management policy manual, which, we think, will also help us to properly manage terminological work in Georgia. Once again, I would like to thank you very much for your friendship and support. We are waiting for you in Tbilisi, at the third international conference.
Lia Karosanidze
Head of Translating Dictionaries and Scientific terminology at Arnold Chikobava Institute of Linguistics
Head of Vukol Beridze Association for Terminology of Georgia