XII Международная студенческая научная конференция Студенческий научный форум - 2020

The characteristic feature of special scientific areas is the constant extending of vocabulary and terminology. The process of upgrading technologies and equipment is accompanied by emergence of new notions and language units for their designation. The development of avionics science and techniques contributes the formation of terms denoting objects, phenomena, and processes that become an integral part of special language used by military specialists.

In modern scientific literature there are many definitions of the word «term». L.L. Nelyubin determines that «a term is a word or word combination used for exact expressing a special notion or denoting a special subject of this or that knowledge area» [1]. The problem of studying the term-formation process remains one of the key problems in linguistics. There are the following types of terms in the English avionics terminology: simple terms, affixal terms, compound terms, and multicomponent terms.

The morphological structure of simple terms includes one root. For example, band, wave, beam, pulse etc. Such words can be the elements of word combinations or compound words [3].

Affixation is one of the most productive ways of word-building, which consists in adding an affix to the stem of a definite part of speech (suffixes and prefixes). Consequently, such terms are subdivided into the following types:

– prefixal: charge – discharge, connect – disconnect, place – replace.

– suffixal: interrogate – interrogator, transmit – transmitter, amplify – amplifier, receive – receiver, propagate – propagation, reflect – reflection, intercept – interception, scatter – scattering.

– prefixal-suffixal: modulate – demodulator, connect – interconnection,act – interaction.

Having analyzed the given examples it’s possible to point out that the word stems of all these terms are verbs, and the most common word-building suffixes are -er/-or, -ing/-tion. According to the meaning of the given words it’s possible to say that suffixes - ing/-tion are used to form the terms, denoting different processes, and suffixes - er / - or form the terms that name devices and apparatuses. It’s also possible to observe the synonymy of the suffixes forming the notions of the same category.

Complex avionics terms in the English language are formed byjoining two or more word stems. The analysis of scientific literature has made it possible to distinguish the most common formation models:

Adj + N: high-frequency, large-scale, short-term, real-time, high-power.

N + Part II: transponder-based, ground-controlled, device-related.

N + Adj: target-rich, ship-borne.

Num + Adj: three-dimensional.

Adv + Part I: forward-looking (radar) ((РЛС) переднегообзора).

N +Prep: lock-on (захватцели).

Shortenings in the English language are subdivided into two main categories: graphical and lexical. Graphical shortenings are the result of shortening words and word combinations only in the written language, while in the oral speech their full forms are used. In the avionics terminology it’s possible to find the following examples of the written shortenings: m – mile, nm – nautical mile, Hz – hertz, MHz – megahertz, kHz – kilohertz, sec. – second etc.

Lexical shortenings include clippings (for example, freq. – frequency, sig. – signal, alt – altitude) and abbreviations (acronyms). Abbreviations are formed from initial letters of constituent words, in speech they are pronounced by alphabetic letters: GPS [ˌdʒiː.piːˈes]- Global Positioning System, DME – Distance Measuring Equipment, MFR – Multi-Function Radar, SMR – Surface Movement Radar.

Acronyms also consist of the first letters or syllables of words, but they are pronounced and reproduced in speech like ordinary words. For example, GLONASS [ˈglɒnəs]– Global Navigation Satellite System, EMCON – Emission Control, TACAN – Tactical Air Navigation. Some acronyms function in the language like typical lexical units: radar – Radio Detection and Ranging, laser – Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The avionics literature also contains acronyms that are formed by clipping two words and combining the initial part of the first word with the latter part of the second one, for example, transceiver – transmitter + receiver; transponder – transmitting + responder.

Multicomponent terms have an important place in the English military terminology. According to the number of components these terms can have two-, three-, four- and more components. On the basis of two-component terms analysis, the following models of their formation are considered the most common.

N + N: position data, answer signal, range resolution, coverage range, signal detection, beam range, flight control, distance measurement.

Adj + N: single target, electronic countermeasures, impulse signal, linear dimension, early detection, active radar, primary radar.

Part II + N: demodulated signal, amplified signal, transmitted data.

The analysis of three-component terms has allowed to single out the four main structural models of their formation. The most commonly used models in the analyzed avionics texts are «N + N + N» and «A + N + N».

N + N + N: pulse repetition frequency, fire control radar, letter band nomenclature, weapon control radar, radar control area.

Adj + N + N: narrow pulse width, initial target detection, particular pulse sequence.

Adj + Adj + N: combat air patrol, active infrared detection.

N + Adj + N: daylight visible range.

English multicomponent terms can also include four and five components, but they are not so widely used, for example, Air TrafficControlRadar, Joint Precision Approach and Landing System [2].

Military avionics terminology of the modern English language represents a combination of one- component and multicomponent terms. The analysis of the given examples has shown that the terms connected with avionics equipment are formed the same way as ordinary words. Root, affixal, and compound words belong to one-component terms. It’s also necessary to point out that there are a lot of graphical and lexical shortenings in technical texts. They are used to compress the information saving the general semantic integrity and significance. Muiticomponent terms are word combinations which include more than two separate elements; they are characterized by coherence between constituent words.

References

1. Nelyubin L.L. Translation of the USA Army Combat Documents. Moscow: Voenizdat, 1989. – 270 p.

2. Pavlova Yu.E. Putova I.N. Lisov P.B. Aviation Avionics Equipment Exploitation. Voronezh: MESC AF, 2015. – 119 p.

3. Revina Yu.N. Peculiarities of Automobile Terms Structure in the German Language // Herald of Irkutsk State Linguistic University. – 2010. № 2 (10) P. 214–222.