Lexical and semantic features of multicomponent terms in physics (on the basis of English-language scientific publications devoted to dark matter)

Modern research sets a new paradigm for the linguistic description of terms as units of special nomination. The emphasis is on the study of dynamic processes covering terminological systems of different subject areas, identifying qualitative changes in the ways of representing domain-specific knowledge. The current paper seeks to identify some specific features of the terminological lexicon of Physics within the framework of an actively developing area of physical research related to the problem of dark matter. The relative novelty of this area, its interdisciplinary and rapidly developing nature result in the complication of its conceptual structure, give rise to certain changes in the formal and semantic representation of special concepts. The focus of this study is on the analytical units of special nomination – multicomponent terms notable for specific combinatorics and semantics of individual components. The study is aimed to identify the lexical and semantic features of this type of terms, determined by linguistic and extralinguistic factors. The collection of lexical material for analysis was carried out not on the basis of dictionaries, as is traditionally the case, but on the basis of English-language publications devoted to dark matter search from highranking scientific journals for 2014 to 2024 years. While randomly selecting the items for analysis the following features of the terminological combinations were taken into account: the ways of their representation in scientific texts (variability of form), the semantic specifics of their individual components. The sample of terms comprises 223 units. The research is based on the method of linguistic description, represented by such techniques as observation and generalization, systematization, quantitative counting, component and semantic analysis. On the basis of the data provided by the study it appeared possible to identify some features of multicomponent terms of the “dark matter” thematic sphere: variability of form of the same concepts represented within the context of one article and in other publications; hybridization of form (combination of verbal components with abbreviations and special symbols); complication of the semantic capacity of terminological combinations due to eponymous and metaphorical components; susceptibility to such semantic processes as synonymy and antonymy. The practical and theoretical significance of the study may consist in the possibility of using theresults obtained to develop the theory of crosscultural scientific communication, to determine patterns for compiling specialized dictionaries and glossaries of physical terms, to design and deliver courses in language for specific purposes, and courses in specialized translation.

the English language, Physics, scientific communication, multicomponent terms, dark matter, terminological system, variability, semantic phenomena