IT TERMINOLOGY IN THE USE OF HUNGARIAN LANGUAGE IN VOJVODINA

Abstract

This paper connects to a previous research on the more significant issues and the results of adaptation of information technology terminology and jargon to the lexis of the Hungarian language from the early 1980s to the present. It includes the more important derivational methods applied in the creation of new terms and which are characteristic to this language, as well as those copied from English thus creating Anglicisms typical for the IT jargon both in the world as well as in Serbia.

Since the previous study focused primarily on the lexicological and terminological development of standard Hungarian language, it also seemed necessary to research the use of these terms in the Hungarian regional language of Vojvodina, which, due to its longtime contact with the Serbian language, differs to a certain extent in vocabulary and in linguistic standard from the language used in the home country,Hungary. This difference does not pose a problem in every-day communication; however, the professional lingo with its specific terminology represents a register which should not create its regional varieties.

The aim of this paper is to gain insight, based on dictionaries, thematic handbooks and online resources, on the compatibility of IT terminology in the Hungarian language in Vojvodina and the terminology used in standard Hungarian. On one hand, for this purpose a trilingual (English-Serbian-Hungarian) dictionary of IT terms was created, the core of which is a set of terms related to direct computer work, and a smaller set of terms referring to a narrower area of informatics. The other subject of observation were phrases and their translations in Serbian-Hungarian and Hungarian-Serbian relations in presently the only bilingual dictionary of IT terminology published on the territory of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina (Velisek, 2008).

On course of the research, analytical and comparative methods were predominantly used, whereby terms from the above mentioned dictionary were compared to the terms in the previously comprised open corpus, as well as to the terms researched online. The latter is due to the fact that IT terminology has become so dynamic nowadays that referring to online sources as well has proved to be unavoidable.

The starting hypothesis that terms in Hungarian in Vojvodina will to some extent differ from the contemporary terminological standard of the Hungarian language has completely proved correct.

The findings of this study indicate that a significant number of term translations show a specific regional form of terminology, which can negatively affect the communicative competence of students using this dictionary, as well as lead to an undesirable insertion of given expressions into the regional language use.

As research results have shown, it is essential to conduct wide terminological research, and to create updated bilingual terminological dictionaries, preferably on an online basis.