Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
We have already seen two specialized variants, the first called [Standard minimal
designation], the second [Simplified minimal designation]. The former is reserved
for detailed activities of description, the latter for quick and more superficial
descriptions. Of course, this opposition between the two variants can be further
differentiated and better defined in the guise of a whole
list of variants
of the basic
activity [Minimal designation] in order to be able to give an account of the most
diverse styles and options of description. In any case, it is a question here of
so-
calledpragmaticvariants
of the basic activity [Minimal designation].
Yet the activity [Minimal designation] still includes other types of variants -
particularly
onomasiological variants.
These are (proper) nouns - names of people,
collective structures,
œuvres
, brands, products, places, periods, etc. Of the various
categories of proper nouns identified by onomasiological research (on this topic, see
[EIC 95]), we have given particular preference to the category of
anthroponyms
(names of people, patronyms, matronyms, pseudonyms, agnames, nicknames, etc.),
ethnonyms
(names of peoples, ethnicities, communities, etc.),
ergonyms
(names of
products, creations, etc.),
toponyms
and
chrononyms
.
Figure 9.10 shows us the example of a working interface of one of the
onomasiological variants
of the activity [Minimal designation]. This is the interface
enabling the first and last name of a person to be entered (let us stress that it is a
simplified interface to denote a person; if that person needs to be identified by their
matronym, patronym, agname or other nickname, another working form must be
used).
Finally, the standard version of the activity [Minimal designation] includes the
possibility to linguistically classify a minimal expression which has been entered. As
Figure 9.3 shows, the first linguistic category offered to the analyst to classify a
minimal expression is indeed that of a
proper noun
. However, there is nothing
stopping this linguistic category from being further developed, being replaced by the
different categories of proper nouns identified and used in onomasiological research.
Thus, the working form shown in Figure 9.10 could be substituted for the different
forms used to enter the minimal expressions relating to this-or-that specific sub-
category of the linguistic category
propernoun
.
