Rasprave Instituta za Hrvatski Jezik i Jezikoslovlje (Jan 2014)
Technical Terms in the Dictionaries of Foreign Words by A. B. Klaić
Abstract
The paper deals with the technical terms that can be found in the first four editions of the Dictionary of Foreign Words, Phrases and Abbreviations (Rječnik stranih riječi, izraza i kratica) by Adolf Bratoljub Klaić published between 1951 and 1966, which were written and prepared for publication by the author himself. Definitions and/or explanations of technical terms are analysed to find out how sometimes complex concepts related to engineering and mechanical engineering in particular are explained to the average reader. Further, the comparison between the dictionary entry organisation in the first and in the second edition shows that Klaić improved the entries by having added information to the second edition both in relation to the content (meaning) and the language (information about accents, some grammar and orthography information). Several examples of terms related to the field of materials, subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, illustrate how Klaić was dealing with these, at that time newly created, technical terms in every subsequent edition. Finally, the paper considers examples of numerous technical germanisms used by engineers in their everyday communication as well as the fact that abbreviations of chemical elements and units of measurement are included whereas technical acronyms are not included in the Dictionary.
