Terminological modelling of processes : An experiment

Abstract

The article discusses the modelling and description of processes with the help of different types of concept relations. The study is part of an ongoing project where terminological concept analysis methods are being developed to accommodate needs of specialists. The example taken here is the Japanese tea ceremony and the material consists of observations of the actual process and of descriptions in literature. In terminology work normally only the established concepts are regarded as relevant, while here the whole process is being modelled. Concept relations that proved to be productive in the analysis were contiguity relations, activity relations, relations of origin, instrumental relations, and transmission relations, as well as several of their subtypes.