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languages, the creation of the International Institute for
Terminology Research, and the creation of Lexiterm, an
association made up of French-speaking countries, founded in
Geneva in 1988.
8.3 Terminography and term record
Terminography involves gathering, systematizing, and
presenting terms from a specific branch of knowledge or human
activity. The relationship of lexicology to lexicography is parallel
to that which exists between terminology and terminography, the
application of terminology that deals with special language
dictionaries. Even though it is practical in nature, terminography is
not an independent activity that individual specialists can deal with
on their own but is governed by a series of technical, formal, and
procedural recommendations that have been internationally agreed.
Terminography must not be confused with translation.
Translators need specific terminology for specialized texts, but this
does not imply that they themselves must develop the terminology,
nor that they have to deal with all the terms in the special subject
field in question. Working in terminology does not mean
translating a term from one language into another based on
supposedly equivalent designations, but gathering the designations
that users of a language use to refer to a concept and ultimately, if
necessary, proposing alternatives in those cases where speakers'
designations are unsatisfactory. While translators are not
terminographers, in daily practice the distinction between these
two groups of professionals is often blurred. erms for a special
language glossary must be ``collected'' from real texts, and not
``invented'' or ``created'' by terminologists. When specialists have
to discuss a concept, they do not stop because of a lack of
terminology. They always use specialized terms to express
themselves, so the terms are there. Terminographers can always
gather the terminology specialists use to communicate with each
other, regardless of whether it is the most rigorous or appropriate
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