LEXCOGRAPHIC AND TERMINOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF ENGLISH TECHNICAL TERMS
The article examines the role of English computer vocabulary in the development of modern lexicography and terminography. It is emphasized that computer words can have varying degrees of “terminology”. We have found that a lexicographer usually describes a computer word in less detail than a terminologist. Terminographic resources, for example, are commonly used by professional linguists (e.g. translators, technical writers) who work with specialized documents prepared by subject matter experts. Users of general language dictionaries, on the other hand, tend to be less knowledgeable in the subject area. Of course, we are again dealing with a continuum, not a dichotomy. Most computer vocabulary is of Latin origin. What contributes most to the usability of computer words is that many of them are metaphorical. Software developers recognize the marketing potential of metaphors.