The problem of the term and military terminology. Military terms and definitions Basic military terms

DICTIONARY OF MILITARY TERMS AND OBSOLETE WORDS

Vanguard - the advanced part of the troops.

Outpost - an advanced post or line of outposts.

Adjutant is an officer attached to a military commander, headquarters or military unit for assignments and maintaining papers.

An aiguillette, a badge of rank, in the form of a plait woven from a gold or silver cord, was attached to the uniform, on the right shoulder so that two long loops and two braids with metal tips hung from the shoulder.

Gait is the movement of a horse in formation at any speed (walk, trot, gallop, gallop).

Embrasure - a hole in a fortress wall or in the parapet of an artillery fortification for conducting artillery or rifle fire at the enemy.

Ammunition is a set of things that make up a soldier’s equipment, except for his uniform, underwear and shoes.

The fittings are a sculptural representation of weapons from various eras and trophies.

Arsenal is a military institution for storing, repairing and assembling, accounting, issuing weapons and ammunition to troops, as well as for carrying out work on their assembly, repair and production of some parts for them.

Article - department, paragraph of the charter, military regulations, code, military laws.

An artillery company was a unit consisting of 12 guns. Used for fire support of infantry and cavalry.

An artillery park is a military formation intended to replenish ammunition.

Arshin is a measure of length equal to 71.120 cm.

The rearguard is the final part of the troops.

The assignat (assignation ruble) was first a settlement, auxiliary, and then the main monetary unit of the Russian Empire from 1769 to January 1, 1849. It circulated on par with the silver ruble. At the first request, one currency was exchanged for another at the market rate.

Attack - attack; a certain trumpet signal calling cavalrymen to attack the enemy.

Ataman is a military-administrative position in the Cossack troops.

Certificate - a document issued to military officials and confirming their qualifications, diligence, courage and good behavior.

Balagan - a hut or hut made of brushwood, reeds, straw or other things. They were built in temporary military camps, in bivouacs.

To ban is to clean the inside of a weapon or cannon.

A bannik is a wooden shaft with a cylindrical (or conical) brush mounted on it. Intended for cleaning the bore of an artillery gun before each loading. At the opposite end of the bannik shaft there was a PIN.

A bastion is a pentagonal long-term fortress or field defensive structure, erected at the corners of the fortress fence.

Battle fire - organized infantry rifle shooting - rapid, frequent aimed fire, carried out without a command for each shot.

The battalion is the main tactical unit.

A battery company is a field foot artillery unit armed with 12 heavy artillery pieces and designed to create batteries (hence the name), operate from field fortifications and conduct massive fire.

Battery - 1) temporary concentration at one firing position of various numbers of artillery pieces to solve a common problem; 2) artillery unit; 3) field fortification designed to accommodate artillery pieces.

Rapid fire - artillery or rifle fire, which was conducted at maximum speed.

Bivouac – 1) a reinforced night guard sent to guard a city or camp near the enemy; 2) the location of troops in the open air.

Order of battle is the formation of troops for battle.

A bomb is an explosive artillery shell weighing more than 16.38 kg. Bombs were fired mainly from mortars.

Bombardier - senior private artilleryman (private artilleryman 1st class), from the gun servants.

A brigade is a tactical unit consisting of several regiments or artillery companies.

The parapet is the main part of the fortification rampart, protecting those in it from observation, bullets and shells.

Trousers - outer trousers, knickers.

Bulletin - in the French army - news about daily military operations, transitions, incidents, etc.

Wagenburg is a concentrated location of military convoys, rear institutions and the military teams covering them.

Wagenmeister is the head of the convoy of a military unit, a non-combatant non-commissioned officer.

Sergeant-major is a senior non-commissioned officer in cavalry regiments.

Lead - 1) an advanced paired cavalry post (one of the posts in the chain of leads), advanced as close as possible to the enemy to observe his actions and conduct reconnaissance; 2) a security and observation post, usually consisting of two sentries, one of which was intended for transmitting messages.

Monogram - the initials of the first name, first name and patronymic or surname, first name and patronymic, woven into a single patterned composition.

Venter is a Cossack tactical technique not regulated by military regulations. Designed to lure the enemy into a pre-prepared ambush in order to strike him from the flanks and rear. The role of “bait” was played by a small detachment that imitated flight and led the enemy, carried away by the pursuit, into an ambush.

Versta is a measure of length equal to 1.0668 km.

Vershok is a measure of length equal to 44.45 mm. 16 vershoks make up ARSHIN.

The messenger gun is a weapon located at the main apartment or at the headquarters of the commander-in-chief. It gave signals to prepare the army for a march, to the beginning of the morning or evening DAWN.

Messenger - messenger.

Veteran - an elderly soldier who has been discharged or is in service, but not in service.

A platoon is a tactical unit within a company.

Winter apartments (winter apartments) - the location of troops for the winter in a populated area.

Screw gun - having threads inside the barrel (“screws” or “edges”); differs from a rifle in that it has a bayonet.

A rifle is a gun that has several grooves inside the barrel (5, 6, 7, 8 or 9). It differs from a gun in shooting accuracy, but in slowness when loading.

Vitsmundir is an everyday uniform, differing from the ceremonial uniform by having less gold or silver embroidery, and sometimes by less bright colors.

Internal guards are special military formations designed to maintain order within the state.

Military campaign (in the 19th century) – 1) a set of interrelated military actions, united by a common plan and aimed at achieving important strategic goals of the war; 2) a stage or period of war, limited by a calendar framework (year, season, etc.) and a single theater of military operations; 3) a campaign to perform a specific military-political task during the war; 4) the period of the troops’ stay on the campaign.

The leader is an official who knows geodesy, field fortification and roads in the area of troop operations, who knows how to occupy and locate camps. They are present with detachments of troops and follow in front. Sometimes they were given work teams to fix roads and bridges, and in case of danger they were given military cover.

Volunteer is a person who voluntarily entered military service.

Wolf pits are the same holes that hunters make to catch wolves, only deeper. They set up in front of field and fortifications when there was a threat of assault. They were usually located in several lines, in a checkerboard pattern.

Edging is a narrow strip of colored fabric sewn into the edge of a uniform piece or sewn into a seam.

An artillery shot is a set of elements of artillery ammunition required for one shot: a projectile, a powder charge, means of igniting the charge and auxiliary elements.

Tie - in Russia army - a scarf, ribbon or strip of fabric for tying a shirt collar.

Galun is a patterned gold, silver or tinsel braid (ribbon) for finishing a uniform, depicting insignia on the uniform.

Garrison is a part of the army located in a city, fortress or castle to protect it.

A road is a road through a swamp or flooded area, lined with logs and covered with brushwood mixed with earth and turf.

A howitzer is an artillery weapon capable of firing at both visible and invisible targets.

Guardhouse - the main guard of an association or garrison and its location in a populated area (guardroom).

The Guard is a selected, privileged part of the army, intended to protect the sovereign.

General of Artillery is a military rank for generals who held senior positions in the artillery.

General of Infantry is a military rank for generals who served in foot troops. Persons who had this rank usually commanded armies and occupied senior military and government positions.

Cavalry general is a military rank for generals who served in the cavalry. Those who had it usually commanded armies, corps, and occupied the highest military and government positions.

Adjutant General - an honorary title for generals and admirals who were in the Suite of His Imperial Majesty; assigned personally by the emperor to persons who held military general ranks and earned the personal favor of the monarch.

The Governor General is the highest government official, the head of the General Government (an administrative-territorial unit of the Russian Empire, consisting of several provinces or regions).

Generalissimo is the highest military rank, exceeding all ranks of the Table of Ranks. The person who had it led not only all the armies, but also all the troops of his state in general, and sometimes the fleet.

Field Marshal General is the highest military rank. Awarded personally by the emperor for outstanding military victories or for long-term service in senior government positions.

A general battle is the main battle when two armies fight each other with all their might. Often the outcome of such a battle decided the fate of an entire campaign, and sometimes the entire war.

Whooping is a Cossack term, which means to strike at the enemy, to unexpectedly and quickly attack him with a cry of “Gee!”, to intimidate and induce panic.

Main army - if the armed forces are divided into several armies, then the main one is called the one with the commander-in-chief or sovereign emperor.

The main apartment is a collection of persons (from the chief of the General Staff to the orderlies) who served under the emperor, commander-in-chief or other military leader who commanded a significant mass of troops.

A grenade is an explosive artillery shell - a hollow cast-iron ball weighing no more than 16.38 kg (pounds), filled with gunpowder. When fired, the gun broke into many fragments.

Grenada - an insignia in the form of a relief image of a grenade with one tongue of flame escaping from it (G. “about one fire”) or three (G. “about three lights” or three-flame).

Grenadier - a soldier of the grenadier companies of the grenadier, infantry and jäger regiments.

Hussar - soldier of hussar regiments.

Duty officer is any official or ordinary soldier assigned to perform any position in turn, and is obliged to perform it for 24 hours or another specified time, without leaving.

General on duty - elected commander-in-chief of the army, serves throughout the campaign or until the end of the war. His duties included: always being with the commander-in-chief, giving his orders to the troops and overseeing their execution, managing the office of the commander-in-chief, receiving reports from the troops and reporting them to the commander-in-chief, etc. He appointed internal and external guards, managed the ranks of the Main Apartment.

Duty - the office or board of the general on duty.

A deserter is a soldier who left his unit without permission.

Declaration is an announcement.

An orderly is a servant from the lower ranks incapable of military service, attached to an officer as a servant.

Dispatch - urgent reports sent from the army to the sovereign or from lower commanders to higher ones.

Depot - 1) a central warehouse, storage of ammunition, money, provisions or fodder left in certain places; 2) place of gathering and training of recruits; a reserve cavalry unit, where horses were trained for combat service.

Defile is a tight, narrow passage between natural or artificial obstacles.

A division is the main tactical unit, consisting of several brigades.

Deployment is the location of troops.

Disposition - a written plan for the disposition or movement of troops, a battle or battle.

Doloman - hussar uniform. A mentik was usually worn over the dolman.

Dragoons are a type of cavalry trained to fight both on horseback and on foot.

The shaft is a long rod on which the banner panel or the tip of a weapon (spikes, halberds, etc.) was attached.

Drogi is a military four-wheeled vehicle for transporting heavy loads.

A shotgun is a long, wide-barreled hunting rifle.

Shot is a cartridge shell in the form of small lead or cast iron balls. Most often used for hunting.

Drawbar - a long wooden lever inserted between the front ends of the spokes. Using a drawbar, two horses were harnessed to one cart.

Jaegers are light infantry, intended for combat mainly in loose formation.

The Unicorn is an artillery weapon that combined the combat qualities of a howitzer and a cannon, i.e. could fire all types of projectiles both from cover and at direct fire.

A corporal is an ordinary soldier of the senior rank, one of the most honored.

The journal is a daily note. During military operations, journals were always kept in which all the actions of each day were recorded, news from individual corps and detachments, as well as orders given on them.

Zavodny – supernumerary, supernumerary (spare).

A volley is a type of firearms shooting in which shots from several artillery pieces or guns were fired simultaneously by a single command.

Deputy O to rifle - a device that ensured the ignition of a combat charge in the barrel of a gun.

An ignition tube is a device for igniting the internal charge of a grenade or bomb, a prototype of a fuse.

Dawn - morning and evening - a military ceremonial and military signal, performed at a set time (in the morning - for awakening, in the evening - for “lights out”) on a drum, bugle (trumpet) or orchestra.

Charge - a certain amount of gunpowder that, upon rapid combustion, ensures the ejection of a projectile (bullet, cannonball, buckshot, bomb or grenade) from the barrel of a gun or handgun.

The charging bag was a special leather bag used to carry artillery rounds to the gun.

Charging truck - a wagon with a closed body for transporting ammunition.

A charging box is a carriage with a closed body for transporting ammunition for artillery shells.

Outpost - 1) a body for guarding troops on the march; 2) a checkpoint on the road, at the border, at the entrance to the settlement.

A fence is an artificial obstacle (blockage) that was made in the forest from trees. fell towards the expected enemy.

Defensive weapons are means of protecting a soldier in combat. At the beginning of the 19th century. These were headdresses - helmets, shakos, hats and armor - cuirasses.

Winter quarters are where troops are stationed in a populated area for the whole winter.

The insignia of the military order is the highest personal award of the lower ranks for courage in battle.

An officer's badge is an insignia in the form of a shield, worn on a neck ribbon on the chest, over the uniform, while the officer was performing his duties in the ranks.

Banner rows are rows of soldiers standing on the right and left sides of the banners to protect them.

The badge is a small rectangular panel nailed to the shaft.

Disabled persons are military personnel who are completely or partially incapable of military service due to wounds, injuries, illnesses or age, who were paid a salary and provisions for life. Teams were formed from disabled people to protect public order (disabled teams and companies), which received special uniforms and weapons.

The disabled team was a unit formed from disabled people incapable of military service, supported at public expense and living in the city.

Invalid home is a barracks-type premises for the accommodation of disabled and elderly disabled people at public expense. The Invalid Homes had medical personnel, a library, workshops, gardens and vegetable gardens in which disabled people could work.

Disabled capital - funds intended for the payment of pensions and material assistance to wounded military personnel who were in service and discharged, as well as widows and orphans of killed and died from wounds of military personnel.

Engineer - in Russia army - the initial part of the name of the ranks of the engineering department, the Corps of Railway Engineers and the Corps of Naval Engineers (engineer general, engineer lieutenant, etc.) or the everyday name of all engineering ranks.

Engineer troops are a branch of troops intended for engineering support of combat operations of infantry, artillery and cavalry (for the destruction, repair and construction of fortifications, barriers, crossings, communications, blasting operations, etc.).

Inspector - an official who was entrusted with command over any part of the troops (engineering inspector, inspector of all artillery, etc.) or supervision of the condition of various military units (inspection).

K f. PhD/Associate Professor Eliseeva V.V. St. Petersburg Essay

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Introduction

military terminology science

The presence of an army is a mandatory characteristic of any modern independent state. Armies differ in size, recruitment principles, degree of combat effectiveness, and even the relationships that exist within them, including communication. The composition of the army and the principle of its recruitment, traditions and society's attitude towards the army, professionalism are the most important reasons influencing the emergence and development of military terminology. Military terminology is replenished not only during wars and conflicts, but also during periods of military reforms and transformations. The secrecy and closeness of the army determine its corporatism and create the preconditions for the emergence and development of its own military language.

Military terminology develops in the national language in stages, reflecting the linguocultural situation characteristic of a particular era. The main characteristics of military terminology are competence and corporatism.

Military documents include military service regulations, orders, instructions, etc. The most typical military document is an order. It has a very strict form, deviation from which is a violation not only of stylistic norms, but also a violation of the established order of correspondence.

The most characteristic feature of military documents are all kinds of abbreviations that take on the character of a conditional code. The most common words are given a special written representation in the style of military documents.

Military documents are replete with special terminology relating both directly to military affairs and to various areas of technology used in the army. No norms of lively colloquial speech and, in particular, professionalisms, which are often referred to as “military slang” and which are very widely used in the live communication of soldiers among themselves, are not used in official documents.

Thus, here too the gap that exists between the norms of literary and written speech and living spoken speech finds its expression. Strelkovsky G.M. Theory and practice of military translation. - M., 1979, 151 p. .

The language of military regulations is much less specialized. This is explained by the content of the charter itself, which determines the nature of the relationship between military personnel, units and formations, as well as the duties and rights of army personnel, etc.

Like other types of business style, words in military documents are used primarily in their subject-logical meanings. An exception is the names of objects of military operations, which are often assigned different symbols.

The general properties of military terms include those properties that do not depend on any particular language, but are characteristic of any terminology.

A very important common property for any terminology, including military, is its systemic conditionality, i.e., a certain dependence of terms on each other. A distinctive feature of military terms is their stylistic neutrality, since the only purpose of the term is the name of the corresponding concept or object of reality, in contrast, for example, to slang words, which are always characterized by a certain emotional and expressive coloring.

The common properties of all terms in any type of military terminology are the following: the unambiguous correlation of the term within one branch of military affairs; the nominative nature of the term, i.e. its independence from the context; stylistic neutrality of the term; the systematic nature of the term, i.e., its belonging to a group of concepts that describe a certain type of military activity or a certain military object.

The object of research in this work is American military terminology.

The subject of study is the features of American military terminology and its main characteristics and types.

The purpose of this work is to study the specifics of American military vocabulary and its use.

This goal led to the formulation of the following tasks:

1) determine the universal characteristics of American military terminology;

2) analyze the extralinguistic factors that determined the expansion of military terminology;

3) determine the specifics of American military terminology;

4) present the main sections of American military vocabulary.

1. MilitaryterminologyVwhetherngvoculturologicalaspect

1.1 CharacteristicpeculiaritiesAmericanmilitarymaterials

Military terminology is a system of lexical means denoting concepts of military science and used in the field of special communication. Military terminology, being a peripheral layer of vocabulary, at the same time has diverse connections with the general vocabulary of the language. Since military affairs, military science, are divided into separate areas, accordingly, the terminology of tactical, military-organizational, military-technical, terminology by types of troops and types of armed forces is distinguished.

Military science in the modern era is a very dynamic, rapidly developing branch of knowledge, and in connection with this, military terminology is constantly expanding and developing. The bulk of military vocabulary is regulated by charters, manuals, combat documents, and because of this, to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the specifics of a particular language, it is unified. Both oral and written military speech is characterized by great terminological richness, therefore identifying and knowing the features of military terminology of a particular language is extremely important.

Military terminology differs from neutral vocabulary functionally (specialization in the field of military affairs) and semantically (clarity of semantic boundaries, stylistic neutrality, lack of emotional overtones, as well as the desire for unambiguity).

Unlike an ordinary word, a military term can be correlated with only one object of reality, represented either by one concept, or by one denotation, or by any number of identical objects. This unambiguous correlation is manifested only within one branch of military affairs. The ambiguity of a military term can only occur when it is used in different areas of military affairs or in different contexts: report, message, report, staff unit; division, part, connection, number; unit, group, goal, object.

The unambiguity of a term in this understanding should not be confused with options for translating a term into another language, since the translation equivalent of a term is not its meaning, but only one of the possible options for an equivalent correspondence.

Military terms generally do not have synonyms, or they differ in their usage. The systemic conditionality of military terms represents a certain dependence of terms on each other (expression of generic and specific concepts, a known hierarchy). This property of military terms can be seen in military ranks. Since large numbers of people with very different levels of knowledge and preparedness are employed in the military sphere, military terms must meet one more requirement - to be clear, simple, and understandable. It is for this reason that many military terms are created on the basis of commonly used vocabulary and are motivated.

This property is primarily possessed by terms intended to provide mass communication (commands, terminology of orders, reports, instructions). These terms should be brief, ensuring concise presentation. The facts of semantic contraction of compound terms are a response to these requirements Dormidontov A.A. Textbook of military translation. - M., Military Publishing House, 1972, 386 p. .

Military materials in the broad sense of the word usually include military-artistic materials, military-journalistic and military-political materials, military-scientific and military-technical materials, and acts of military command. It is customary to include scientific and technical materials and management acts related to the life and activities of troops and military institutions of the armed forces as military materials themselves. Military fiction, military journalism and military-political materials are military only in their focus and theme and basically have those features that are generally inherent in all socio-political, journalistic and artistic texts.

All military materials differ from any other materials in the richness of special military vocabulary, the widespread use of military and scientific-technical terminology, the presence of a certain number of variable-stable and stable phrases characteristic only for the military sphere of communication, the abundance of military nomenclature and special abbreviations and symbols used only in military materials, and from the point of view of syntax - the widespread use of elliptical (especially in military documentation) and clichéd constructions, the poverty of tense verb forms, the compressed form of the statement, the use of numerous parallel constructions within one sentence, expressed by infinitive and participial phrases.

All this is associated with a certain functional load that characterizes the military sphere of communication: conciseness, clarity and specificity of formulations, accuracy and clarity of presentation, which ensures logical consistency of presentation, harmony of construction, clear delineation of one thought from another, ease of perception of the transmitted information.

When working with military terminology, it is very important to know all the nuances of their use, since the material serves as the basis for making important decisions, conducting military operations, etc. Therefore, the adequacy of the translation of military materials requires not only an accurate transfer of the content of the material, but also a more thorough transfer of it structural form, order of parts and arrangement of material, sequence of presentation and a number of other factors that may seem unnecessary, formal, but important for a military specialist. For example, in combat documents, the order of points and sub-points, their designation (in Arabic numerals and Latin letters), the accuracy of transmitting dates and times, coordinates, geographical names, numbering and names of units and other data is of great importance.

The style of military terminology is not uniform. In American military materials, there are two trends in presenting the material: either in dry official clerical language using cumbersome, often archaic phrases and constructions, or in simple, colloquial, sometimes familiar language. The latter trend is observed mainly in military and military-technical materials designed for private and non-commissioned officers of conscript service. This trend is associated primarily with the low level of general and technical training of conscripts, and, consequently, with the desire to make dry official statutory materials and difficult technical instructions more popular and accessible to the bulk of military personnel. Because of this, many American military materials are replete with explanatory illustrations, tables, diagrams and diagrams that help convey to the reader the essence of the issue being presented.

Military vocabulary includes, first of all, all words and combinations denoting military concepts, i.e. concepts directly related to the armed forces, military affairs, war, etc. In addition, scientific and technical terms should be included in military vocabulary , used in connection with military concepts (for example, track “caterpillar of a tank or any combat vehicle, on caterpillar tracks”).

Further, military vocabulary may include words and combinations that, although they do not denote actual military concepts, are used almost exclusively in a military environment, and in general use are little known or completely unknown (for example, boondocks “jungle”; behavior report “letter (of a soldier) ) home"; side arms "cutlery"), as well as some foreign borrowings, various jargons, etc.

Thus, military vocabulary includes both words and combinations that express specific military concepts, as well as words and combinations used primarily in the armed forces.

Military vocabulary can be divided into the following two groups:

1. Military terminology.

Military terminology, in turn, is divided: a) into official terminology, consisting of statutory terms; b) non-statutory terminology used in the oral speech of military personnel and in some types of military literature, but which is not officially accepted.

2. Emotionally charged elements of military vocabulary. Emotionally charged elements of military vocabulary are in most cases stylistic synonyms of the corresponding military terms (for example, doughboy (a colloquial word) and infantryman (a term) mean “infantryman”).

The above groups of military vocabulary are closely interrelated with regard to their place in the vocabulary of the language, scope of use and some functions.

The corresponding rows of words from different groups of military vocabulary, as a rule, synonymously designate the same objects, processes and phenomena. They may have properties common to both groups, such as the comparative narrowness of their use, incomprehensibility or incomprehensibility for persons who do not belong to the armed forces V.V. Vakhmistrov. English language textbook for higher military command schools. - M., Military Publishing House, 1979, 415 p. .

Many words belonging to one group of military vocabulary may lose some of their properties and, conversely, acquire properties characteristic of another group. For example, words such as mess, pillbox, silo, dud, which once belonged to military slang, i.e., emotionally charged elements of military vocabulary, have become statutory terms.

Modern American military terminology is developing most intensively in the development of new types of weapons - primarily nuclear missile and space combat systems (orbital weapon “orbital weapon”; global missile “global rocket”; silo launcher “silo-type launch structure”; stratospheric fallout “contamination of the stratosphere with radioactive products of a nuclear explosion”), radio-electronic and other technical means (beam rider guidance “beam guidance”; laser range finder “laser range finder”; ambush detection device “(technical) means of detecting ambushes”; air cushion vehicle “device hovercraft").

Aviation terminology is constantly being updated, in particular the terminology of army aviation (continuous airborne alert “continuous combat duty in the air”; radar picket aircraft “radar patrol aircraft”; gunship “armed helicopter”; copter-borne “transported by helicopters”; aviation battalion “aviation battalion; army aviation battalion"; helilift" helicopter transfers").

Many new terms have appeared in connection with the reorganization of ground forces and higher command bodies (strike command “strike command”; field army support command “army rear command”; division base “general organizational elements of divisions, divisional base”; logistics operations center “center rear control").

New terms also appeared related to changes in some fundamental provisions (doctrines) in tactics and operational art (area defense “area defense; positional defense”; forward edge of the battle area “front edge of the defense area”; nuclear safety line “nuclear safety line” "; spoiling attack "preemptive strike; counterattack with going beyond the front line"; nuclear environment "conditions for the use of nuclear weapons, nuclear situation").

Especially many new words are noted in the terminology reflecting the concepts of the so-called “war by unusual means and methods” (unconventional warfare). A significant place is occupied by terms related to various issues of American military strategy (balance of terror “balance of forces of intimidation”; massive retaliation “massive retaliation, massive counterstrike”; brush fire war “local war, local war; military operations of local significance”; quick -response strategy “flexible response strategy”).

Many new military terms arose in connection with American aggression in Vietnam (enclave “coastal bridgehead; strong point”; strategic hamlet “strategic village (fortified settlement)”; jungle canopy platform “landing area for helicopters on the treetops in the jungle”) Buch M.A. English language: textbook for higher military aviation engineering educational institutions. - M., Voenizdat, 1972, 137 p. .

It is necessary to keep in mind quite significant differences in the English military vocabulary used in the USA and England. This is explained, first of all, by some specific features of the organization, weapons, and tactics of the armed forces of these countries, as well as certain differences between the English and American versions of modern English. Despite the work being done within NATO to unify English military terminology (especially in the field of tactics and operational art), discrepancies in the term logic continue to exist.

For example, the concepts of “connection” or “association” in the USA are expressed using the term large unit, and in England - formation. The same term can have different meanings in the USA and England. For example, general staff in the USA means “the general part of the headquarters,” and in England it means “the operational and intelligence part of the headquarters.” There are noticeable differences in military ranks and especially in the terminology of the organization: the “Minister of Defense” in the USA is called Secretary of Defense, and in England - Defense Minister. A number of terms are used only in the USA (for example, Chief of Staff “chief of staff (branch of the armed forces)”) or only in England (for example, commandos “airborne sabotage units “commando”). You should also take into account some differences in spelling and pronunciation Aristov N.B. Naval forces of the USA and Great Britain. - M., Voenizdat, 1967, 202 p. .

Military vocabulary also includes a number of military terms specific to the armed forces of Canada, Australia and other English-speaking countries.

1.2 Methodsreplenishmentmilitaryterminology

New military terms are formed using the usual methods of word formation characteristic of modern English. A clear understanding of the methods of word formation allows us to more deeply understand the processes of development of military terminology and the meanings of new terms not yet reflected in dictionaries.

As is known, a distinction is made between morphological word formation (in which new words are given by combining morphemes) and lexical-semantic word formation (in which new words arise as a result of the transfer of a name or a change in meaning without the formation of a new sound complex). Military vocabulary is also replenished through various types of borrowings.

Morphological word formation of terms covers the following methods: affixation, compounding, conversion and abbreviation.

Affixation is a method of word production by which new terms are created by attaching word-forming affixes (prefixes and suffixes) to the stems of various parts of speech. Among the most productive suffixes with the help of which military terms (nouns) are formed are the following:

Ability: maintainability

Age: camouflage; sabotage; barrage

Al: removal; survival

Ance: surveillance; resistance

Ancy: expectancy

Ant: commandant; illuminant

Her: inductee; awardee; holdee; trainee; abandonee

Eer: missileer; cannoneer

Ence: deterrence

Er: launcher; booster; gunner

Ese: manualese; navalese

Ier: grenadier; bombardier

Ing: landing; jamming

Ism: cannibalism

Ment: bombardment; environment

Or: monitor; detonator

Out: breakout; blackout; liftout

Ry: weaponry; missilery

Ship: generalship; brinkmanship

Sion: conversion

The most common adjective suffixes in military vocabulary:

Able: droppable; transportable

Al: conventional; operational

Ible: convertible

Ic(al): strategic; tactical

Less: recoilless; tubeless

Ous: amphibious

The most common verb suffixes in military vocabulary:

The most common prefixes used to form terms (nouns) include the following:

anti-: antimissile

co-: coordination

counter-: counterinsurgency

dis-: disengagement; disorganization

ex-: exfiltration

non-: nonavailability; nonproliferation

The following prefixes are most often combined with verbs in military vocabulary:

co-: coordinate; cooperate

counter-: counterattack; counteract

de-: deorbit; debrief; decontaminate; decode

dis-: dismount; disband; discharge

en-: entruck; entrain; entrench

mis-: mislead; mishandle

out-: outgeneral; outgun; outmaneuver

over-: overrun; overpower

pre-: preposition; preload; prearrange

re-: replenish; resupply; restrike

sub-: suballot; submerge

un-: uncover; unload; unlock

under-: understaff; underload; undermine

The following prefixes are most often combined with adjectives:

extra-: extraterrestrial; extravehicular

in-: inaccessible; invincible

inter-: intercontinental; interallied

ir-: irregular; irretrievable; irreplaceable

non-: nonnuclear; nonexpendable

post-: postwar; postflight; poststrike

pre-: prewar; prelaunch; prepositioned

under-: underarmed; understaffed

Compounding is a method of word formation in which a new word is formed by combining the stems of two or three words. Here we can imagine the following main structural types:

a) compound nouns: noun stem + noun stem: aircraft; battlefield; bridgehead; warhead; workshop;
noun stem + noun stem, connected by a preposition: man-of-war; adjective stem + noun stem: strongpoint;
verb stem + adverb stem: countdown; break-through.

b) complex adjectives: noun stem + adjective stem: battlewise; infantry-heavy; seaworthy; noun stem + participle stem I: armor-piercing; target-seeking; noun stem + participle stem II: air-delivered; battle-scarred; flash-burnt; helmet-mounted; adverb stem + participle stem I: hard-hitting; adverb stem + participle stem II: hard-fought; least-engaged; adjective stem + adjective stem: nuclear-free; adjective stem + participle stem II: nuclear-powered.

c) complex verbs: adverb stem + verb stem: outfight; noun stem + verb stem: manhandle; adverb stem + verb stem: downgrade.

Conversion is a very common type of word formation in military vocabulary, in which some existing words, without changing their original form, acquire the meaning of another part of speech.

Conversion is one of the main ways of forming verbs (mainly from nouns). For example, mortar - to mortar; shell- to shell; rocket - to rocket. A verb formed by conversion in all cases denotes an action related to the meaning of the original word. The difficulty in translating such new formations lies in the fact that in Russian there may not be verbs formed from similar stems (for example, to mortar - in Russian you cannot say “mortar”, you must “fire from a mortar, conduct mortar fire”; to officer “to staff with officers”; to gap “to make a gap, make a passage”).

The process of formation is also possible by converting nouns from verbs (for example, to intercept - intercept) Portnyagin N.N. Basics of word production in English military vocabulary. // Theory and practice of military research. - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka State Technical University Publishing House, 2007.

Abbreviation is a very common method of morphological word formation. In this case, a reduction (disappearance) of some part of the sound shell or graphic form of the word occurs.

The intensity and prevalence of this phenomenon are undoubtedly influenced by the style of combat documents, for which the requirement of brevity and conciseness is dominant. Many terms and combinations acquire some established (statutory) version of the abbreviated spelling. However, such use of abbreviations in written speech is not in itself word formation in the full sense, since in this case new words are not created, but only a special conventional (albeit to a certain extent motivated) system for designating already existing lexical units is used. One can rightfully talk about the formation of a new word by abbreviation only when it begins to be used in oral speech (or in written contexts for which the use of abbreviations is not the norm) as a synonym for the corresponding full word, for example, plane - airplane; chute - parachute.

The following main types of word abbreviations by truncation of stems are distinguished:

1) truncation of the beginning of a word: (heli)copter; (para)chute;

2) truncation of the middle of a word: arty(artillery);

3) truncation of the end of a word: demob(ilize); frag(ment); heli(copter); prop(eller).

Various combined versions of these types are possible, for example, medico (medical officer), nukes (nuclear weapons), pentomic (penta + atomic), radome (radar + dome), siwa (side winder). A special place is occupied by complex abbreviated words like: A-bag (assault bag), A-bomb (atomic bomb), H-bomb (hydrogen bomb).

It should be borne in mind that as a result of truncations in oral speech, as a rule, the stylistic coloring of the term changes. At least at first, the new word has a somewhat familiar connotation, but later this connotation can quickly disappear (for example, plane). Some abbreviations become ordinary words and are not perceived as abbreviations in modern usage (eg radar).

In the process of semantic changes, the main role is played by the transfer of a word as a name based on the similarity of any characteristics of objects, phenomena, actions, qualities. The new meaning sometimes deviates so far from the original that it becomes possible to talk about the formation of a new word, which will be a homonym to the original name, for example, the term cavalry in the modern interpretation is “a highly mobile branch of the military” (tank troops, airmobile troops, cavalry). In this case, such an interpretation is complicated by the fact that in American usage this transfer of names is of a deliberate propaganda nature in order to emphasize the continuity of “cavalry” traditions with new branches of troops (performing “classic” cavalry tasks - reconnaissance, security, rear raids, etc. ).

The connection between the general and specific new meaning of the term missile is more noticeable: 1) (any) projectile; 2) missile (as a means of destruction).

The term grenadier has: 1) the archaic meaning of “grenadier”; 2) historical “motorized infantryman” (Hitler’s army); 3) more modern, but outdated possible meanings of “a soldier throwing a grenade”, “a soldier armed with a rifle grenade launcher”; 4) modern meaning “grenade launcher (armed with a rocket-propelled grenade launcher).”

We can talk about the formation of two new terms (homonyms) as a result of changing the meaning of the word mortar - “mortar” and “mortar”.

The transfer of names sometimes occurs simultaneously with the borrowing of words from other areas of military affairs or other areas of social activity, science and technology, etc. For example, the legal term to brief “to point out to the client any features of the conduct of his case by a lawyer” is first used in the Air Force in the meaning of “to give instructions before a combat mission”, and then in the armed forces as a whole in the meaning of “to set a task, to instruct.” It is interesting to note that already within the military vocabulary, from this word, by way of affixation, the term to debrief is formed “to receive intelligence data from those who returned from a mission behind enemy lines (aircraft crews, paratroopers, reconnaissance groups, etc.).”

The term rappelling “descent from a mountain on a rope” was borrowed from the lexicon of climbers, which in military vocabulary acquired the meaning of “landing troops on a rope from a helicopter in hovering mode.”

Other examples of changing the meanings of terms: extraction extraction (liners); removing stuck equipment; removal of airborne units from behind enemy lines (after completing the task); acquisition; detection and detection of targets; decontamination cleansing; disinfection; disinfection; degassing; deactivation; saturation saturation (of solution); the use of offensive means in quantities exceeding the capabilities of defense; surveillance surveillance, reconnaissance surveillance; observation using technical means (radar stations, infrared technology, heat direction finders, etc.) Korovushkin V.P. Abbreviations in English military jargon. - Author's abstract. dis. Ph.D. Sci. - L., Leningrad State University named after A.A. Zhdanova, 1987, 16 p. .

As a result of a change in the meaning of a term, the meaning of the word may expand or narrow. For example, the verb to land, meaning “to land on the shore; to land” has now expanded its meaning and can be used in the sense of “to land on any surface (on water, on a celestial body, etc.).” A special case of changing meanings is the development of meanings from the designation of an action or process to the name of the performer of the action.

For example, in the sentence: Fire will be opened only on low attacks “to open fire only on low-flying attacking aircraft.” The word attack, denoting an action, is used to mean the performer of the action.

The appearance of new meanings for a term sometimes causes the formation of peculiar antonyms to express the old meanings of this word. For example: airmobile cavalry - horse cavalry; cross country vehicle - road vehicle; guided bomb - gravity bomb; jet aircraft - piston aircraft; mortar - artillery mortar; mounted infantry - foot infantry; nuclear bomb - iron bomb; rotary wing aircraft - fixed wing aircraft; unconventional warfare - conventional warfare.

Commonly used verbs that are part of military vocabulary, as a rule, acquire specific meanings that are closely related to generally known ones. However, here it is necessary to highlight those cases when in military contexts more narrowly used meanings of well-known verbs are realized: to clear (a point) “to pass (a section)”; to deliver (fire) “to deliver (fire)”; to detail (for duty) “assign (to duty)”; to develop (a position) “to open, reconnoiter (defense)”; to dress “to be equal”; to find a guard “to highlight (guard)”; to furnish (a patrol) “to highlight (patrol)”; to hold out (a reserve) to mount (an attack) “to go on the offensive”; to negotiate (an obstacle) “to overcome (obstacle)”; to organize (an area) “to equip (an area) in engineering terms”; to reduce (a pillbox) to refuse (a flank) “to pull back (flank)”; to rotate (personnel) “to alternate (personnel)”; to stage (an attack) “to undertake (an offensive)”; to turn (a position) “to go around (defense).” Preliminary study of these values is especially important.

There is a change in the meanings of proper names as well. In this regard, it should be mentioned that proper names are widely represented in English military vocabulary, primarily as names of weapons and military equipment. A change in meaning can occur by metaphorically transferring a proper name to another object, phenomenon, etc. based on the similarity of any characteristics. As a result, common nouns are formed. For example, Hiroshima - Hiroshima - has the common meaning of “the use of nuclear weapons against a large populated area”; Dunkirk - Dunkirk - “evacuation by sea of a large group of troops after a retreat”; Dien Bien Phu - Dien Bien Phu - “destruction of the besieged garrison of a fortified point”; Verdun - Verdun - “indestructible fortress”; Cannae - Cannes - “the complete defeat of a large group as a result of encirclement”; Pearl Harbor - Pearl Harbor - "surprise attack."

Another way of changing the meanings of proper names is metonymic transfer based on the real connection between the proper name and another object. For example, the place names of certain places are associated with certain institutions, for example: Fort Benning "infantry school"; Langley "Central Intelligence Agency"; Fort Knox "armor school"; West Point "military school"; Fort Bliss "rocket school"; Sandhurst "military school of the English army", etc.

The name of the building that houses the US Department of Defense - Pentagon - began to be used to refer to this ministry and the American military as a whole.

The name of the inventor, or more often the name of the company, is transferred to the item itself. For example, Bren “light machine gun”; Sten "automatic"; Boeing "bomber".

Borrowing is another type of addition to military vocabulary. They can be divided into two categories: borrowings from various layers of the English vocabulary (internal borrowings) and borrowings from foreign languages. The share of modern foreign borrowings in English military vocabulary is relatively small. Most of them are borrowed from the German language (Blitzkrieg; bunker; flak; Kaserne; Luftwaffe; to strafe; Wehrmacht) and from the French language (coup de grace; elan; esprit de corps; force de frappe; force majeure; hors de combat). There are borrowings from other languages, in particular eastern ones, which, as a rule, are used in colloquial speech and vernacular.

Many military scientific and technical terms arise using international sources of terminology (Latin and Greek roots). There are especially many such entities and terminology on space and missile weapons.

The influence of foreign languages in military vocabulary is also manifested in the education of the so-called “cripples”. Recently, for example, many cripples have appeared from the Russian language: inhabited point “settled area”; rifle division “rifle division”; front "front (union)".

The bulk of military vocabulary consists of various stable combinations, primarily terminological combinations. According to their structure, combinations are divided into the following main groups:

1) a noun (usually a term) with a qualifying word (or word) placed before or after the word being defined. These are the so-called substantive combinations (nominal phraseological units): bombardment by gun; CBR weapons; land-based missile; line of departure; means to make war; range by shooting; surface-to-surface guided missile. These combinations represent the most numerous group in military vocabulary;

2) verb with a noun (as a direct or prepositional object): change hands; deliver supplies; perform a mission; shoot into close quarters; spark a war;

3) verb with other parts of speech (except for the noun): a) verb with post-verb word-forming elements: break away; break down; break off; break out; break through; shake down; take off; to take out (a target); zero in(on); b) verb with participle I (II): keep rolling (covered).

A special place is occupied by combinations such as cover and concealment; man power and material; research and development; rest and recreation, command and control. Combinations of this type do not denote a new concept, but express two concepts that are closely related as a result of stable traditional use.

Based on the number of components, combinations are divided into two-, three-, or more component units. For example, all-weather interceptor-fighter squadron. The buildup of components in combinations of a substantive group is limited by the fact that the addition of a new component does not create a new concept (more refined compared to a one-component basic term), but two or three concepts perceived separately. With a very large number of components, the close syntactic connection seems to be interrupted and the combination breaks up into two or more separate combinations that do not constitute a phraseological unit. In such long combinations, it is sometimes customary to separate distant components with commas.

The cases of the so-called “nomenclatural” spelling of the components of combinations of the first subgroup should not be confused with combinations of this subgroup. For example: tablet, water purification, individual, iodine. With this spelling, all defining words are written after the main word. A "normal" notation for the above definition would be individual iodine water purification tablet.

Units such as military aphorisms, proverbs and sayings should be included in a special structural group. For example, marshal's baton; the army travels on its belly; to see the whites of the eyes (i.e., to be very close to the enemy); be quick on the draw to act with instant reaction; half-battle half a battle won, half a victory; good beginning is half a battle good beginning is half a victory Kolgushkin A.A. Linguistics in military affairs. - M., Voenizdat, 1970, 173 p.

With regard to the difficulties of understanding and translation, terminological phrases can be divided into those in which the components (each separately) completely coincide in meaning with the corresponding Russian terms. For example, rear establishment “rear establishment”. A literal translation, as a rule, in this case gives the correct Russian correspondence.

A particular example of this type of term-word combinations are those compound terms in which the general meaning of the entire combination fully corresponds to the Russian term, but individual elements may differ from the components of the Russian equivalent. For example, ammunition supply point (literally “ammunition supply point”) “ammunition supply point”; organizational equipment (literally “organizational property”) “inventory property”.

There are also terminological combinations in which it is quite possible to deduce the general meaning from the meaning of the individual components. However, a literal translation will not be correct.

For example, automotive equipment (literally “self-propelled property”) “cars, tractors, armored combat vehicles”, etc.; level of supply (literally “level of supply”) “supply rate”. A special place is occupied by those terms and phrases that are incomprehensible only for the reason that they denote specific concepts characteristic of the armed forces of the United States and England. For correct translation it is necessary to know the essence of these concepts. For example, administrative center “administrative center”; general staff “general part of the headquarters”; special staff “special part of the headquarters”; Adjutant General's Corps "service of the adjutant general."

Finally, there is a relatively small group of terminological combinations that belong to a completely special category of phraseological units (“adhesions”). In these combinations, the overall meaning is usually not deducible from the meanings of the individual components. For example, Quartermaster General “quartermaster general, chief of the quartermaster service of the United States”; Provost Marshal "chief of military police"; Sam Browne belt “officer's belt with sword belt” Strelkovsky G.M. Theory and practice of military translation. - M., 1979, 151 p. .

2. LexicalpeculiaritiesAmericanmilitaryterminology

2.1 Military-technicalterminology

American military vocabulary is usually divided into three main groups: military terminology, denoting concepts that are directly related to military affairs, armed forces, methods of warfare, etc.; military-technical terminology, which includes scientific and technical terms; and emotionally charged military vocabulary (slang), represented by words and combinations that are often used mainly in the spoken language of American military personnel and are actually stylistic synonyms of the corresponding military terms.

The composition of modern American military and military-technical terminology is not constant. It is continuously changing due to the deletion of a number of words, changes in meanings, continuous addition of new terms, for example, in connection with the reorganization of branches of the armed forces, the emergence and development of new types of weapons and military equipment, the development of new methods of warfare, etc. Formation of military terms occurs in the usual ways of word formation characteristic of the English language: morphological, including affixation (maneuverability, missileer, rocketeer, analyst, rotary), compounding (warhead, countdown, target-seeking, hard-fought, nuclearpowered), conversion (to mortar, to officer ), abbreviation (copter, chute, radar, FEBA, ROAD); lexical-semantic, meaning a transfer of meaning (Diesel is the name of the inventor and the name of a type of internal combustion engine, Pentagon is the name of the building of the US Department of Defense, the US Department of Defense, the American military), a change in meaning (acquisition meant only the acquisition, but now means the detection and detection of targets ), expansion of meaning (to land - meant to land on the shore; to land, and now to land on any surface, including water and a celestial body), narrowing of meaning (cruiser - used to mean any ship at sea, but now a cruiser); by borrowing both from other areas of science and technology (pin, strut) and from other languages (bunker, to sitrafe, Blitzkrieg - from German, aide decamp - from French, mechanized rifle division, inhabited point - tracing papers from Russian etc.

As is known, terms in language (i.e. words and phrases, special (scientific, technical) language, created or borrowed to accurately express special concepts and designate special objects) arise as a result of the desire of language for the most concise and accurate transmission of information, to such accuracy that could exclude the possibility of arbitrary and subjective interpretation. This finds particular expression in military materials, the saturation of which with terminology requires excellent knowledge of not only foreign military terminology, but also adequate Russian military terminology and the ability to use it correctly. It should be remembered that a term, as a rule, is translated by the corresponding term of another language, therefore techniques such as analogues, synonymous substitutions, and descriptive translation are used only when the language does not have a corresponding term for translation.

A careful analysis of American military terminology shows its extreme heterogeneity. Along with unambiguous terms that have precise and clear semantic boundaries, there are also ambiguous terms. For example, the term security means protection, support, combat support; security; security, secrecy; counterintelligence; term armor armor; armored forces; tanks; the terms unit and command have up to ten or more meanings. Therefore, the polysemy of even single-component terms makes it difficult to correctly understand and translate them, the adequacy of which completely depends on the text and the situation.

From the point of view of difficulty of understanding and translation, military terms can be divided into three groups:

1. Terms denoting the realities of foreign reality, identical to the realities of Russian reality, for example: field hospital, chief of staff, chief of staff, recoil brake.

Understanding and translating the terms of this group is not particularly difficult. The following translation cases are possible:

a) As an equivalent, a Russian term is used, the form of which is related to the form of the English term (so-called international terms), for example: army army, division division, general general.

b) As an equivalent, a Russian term is used, the form of which is not related to the form of the English term, for example: rifle rifle, company company.

A multicomponent term consisting of several words is translated into a Russian term, the components of which coincide in form and meaning with the corresponding components of the English term, for example: antitank artillery, recoil brake.

c) The general meaning of a multi-component American term completely coincides with the meaning of a similar Russian term, but its individual components differ from those of the Russian equivalent, for example: field equipment, camping equipment, flame thrower, flamethrower, mine detector, mine detector.

2. Terms denoting the realities of foreign reality, absent in Soviet reality, but having generally accepted Russian terminological equivalents, for example: Air National Guard, Air Force National Guard, Territorial Army, headquarters and headquarters company, headquarters and headquarters company. Adequate translation of such terms is achieved by selecting the corresponding Russian analogues and by adequate replacement, for example: delaying resistance maneuver defense, fire base fire group, classified information classified information, articles of war regulations on military-judicial records management and disciplinary sanctions.

3. Terms denoting the realities of foreign reality that are absent in Soviet reality and do not have generally accepted Russian terminological equivalents, for example: alert hangar alarm departure hangar Kolgushkin A.A. Linguistics in military affairs. - M., Military Publishing House, 1970, 173 p. .

When working with military terminology, you should always take into account the real meaning of the term in a given situation, in a given context. For example, the term battalion means a battalion in infantry, but a division in artillery; The term section in the US armed forces means a section in infantry heavy weapons units, a gun in artillery, and in the British armed forces a section in infantry, a platoon in artillery.

One should also take into account the possible shift in the meaning of the term when using the plural. For example, defense means defense, and defenses are defensive structures; store stock; warehouse, store, a stores - property; cargo; material resources.

Thus, a correct understanding of the terms depends not only on a good knowledge of the language, but also on knowledge of the realities of foreign, Soviet and even old Russian armies, their history, organization, weapons and military equipment, methods of conducting armed struggle, etc.

2.2 Methodstransfersabbreviations

Abbreviations are an integral part of any special vocabulary (including military) and an important source of its replenishment.

The presence of an extremely large number of abbreviated lexical units of various kinds is one of the characteristic features of modern American military vocabulary. Abbreviations are widespread both in the oral speech of military personnel and in various written documents. In some documents, only proper names, including geographical names, are given in unabridged form. Abbreviations exist objectively in language, and any objective process cannot but have its own laws. Therefore, work is necessary to establish the patterns of formation and development of abbreviations and their place in the language system.

The problems associated with reductions are broad and multifaceted. The difficulty of studying abbreviations is aggravated by the fact that abbreviated lexical units are extremely diverse in nature, as well as by the fact that some abbreviations are closely related to symbols, conventions, shorthand notation, mnemograms, etc.

In general, the process of forming abbreviations (abbreviation) can be defined as the replacement of any stable linguistic expression (word, phrase) in oral or written speech with a shorter expression based on the material of the first expression and preserving the general semantic content. The essence of the abbreviation process is to rationalize the use of the material elements of language, that is, its sound and graphic shell, for communicative purposes.

With this approach, abbreviations cover a wide range of linguistic phenomena, including ellipses, “telescopic” words (blends), etc., which are not always classified as abbreviations, although in fact they perform the same function as “traditional” abbreviations (abbreviations, truncations) ), - reduction of formal language material (sound or graphic) to convey a certain semantic content. It should be noted that, in their function, abbreviations are similar to some other common linguistic phenomena, for example, the use of pronouns and auxiliary verbs.

The problem of the origin of abbreviations is important for understanding their essence and the patterns of their functioning in the language. Most often, the occurrence of abbreviations is explained by the “principle of least effort”, the “law of economy of speech means”. However, the explanation of the acronym "economy of effort" is incomplete and insufficient. Abbreviation is primarily associated with the main - communicative - function of language and meets the needs of communication not by “saving effort”, but by condensing information for communicative purposes, by increasing the information value of certain elements of formal language material.

For a deeper understanding of the problem of the development of contractions, it is necessary to pay attention to some specific features of speech. First of all, one should keep in mind the linearity of the speech flow (and, accordingly, writing). Linearity means that in the speech stream all elements (with the exception of some so-called prosodic elements, for example, intonation) follow each other in a strictly defined sequence. The linearity of language limits its communicative capabilities, if only due to the existence of “technical” (physiological) limits on the speed of movement of the speech organs or the capacity of the visual channels of perception.

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Purpose of military terminology

Military terms and definitions are part of an open dynamic system of language, which is subject to certain changes and lives in accordance with special laws of development.

Since ancient times, when military affairs advanced and formed into a separate system, the thesaurus of special names and terms that are used by military specialists in war situations and in the everyday life of the army began to expand: ideology and propaganda, weapons, combat training. With the increasing complexity of military equipment and the development of tactical and strategic capabilities, new names began to appear and become fixed in the language: landing, military aviation, nuclear forces. Objects that are outdated in tactical terms are gradually moving into the category of historicism: ballista, gazyri, Table of Ranks, cavalry, Red Army soldier . There is also a solid, indivisible “core” of universal terms that have survived centuries: soldier, captain, fleet, medal, victory.

In its main purpose, military terminology serves the interests of society and the state, since it is associated with ongoing processes in political life (both external and internal).

Classification of military terms and definitions

In the modern world, military terms and concepts, as well as the objects they designate, are in a state of dynamic development in the conditions of continuous scientific and technological progress. However, within the specific area to which it is assigned, the term remains a stable unit that does not change its meaning.

Among military terminology, it is customary to distinguish the following groups:

military-political terms (strategic, tactical);
military-diplomatic terms (organizational);
military-technical terms (refer to different types of armed forces and branches of the military).

Development of terminology in Russian

The origins of military terminology in the Old Russian language can be traced through the example of the text “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign” (presumably 1187). Since the “Tale” is dedicated to a military campaign, the military terms of that time are richly presented here: regiment, battle, squad, army, shelom, shield, spear, bow, arrow, etc.

Further, in the 17th century, as the language developed, borrowings—Latinisms and Germanisms—began to penetrate into it. Thus, in the translation of the German book “The Military Art of Infantry” (published in 1647) there are many German military terms that still exist: musketeer, soldier, ensign, captain, etc.

During military interaction and successful conquests in the XI-XVII centuries. the military vocabulary was enriched with words from the Turkic languages: quiver, beshmet, guard, etc.

In Peter's time, the Russian language was enriched with military and naval terminology thanks to the active reform activities of the first Russian emperor. Thanks to the development of shipbuilding and the borrowing of advanced technologies from the Dutch and English languages, naval terms have penetrated, and are now relevant in military affairs: raid, fleet, pennant, fairway, cutter, flight (Dutch), boat, brig, midshipman (English).

France and which were in the period of the XVIII-XIX centuries. the most organized and highly trained, introduced into our speech such military terms as army, battalion, garrison, carriage, attack, landing, captain, march, mine, cavalry, courier, sapper, squadron (French), corporal, assault, guardhouse, cartridge belt, camp (German), etc. Language contacts contributed to the fact that carbonari, cavalier, barricade, bastion, arsenal, etc. “came” from the Italian language.

Most borrowings were introduced by the English language and its American variant. These are mainly military professions and military equipment, the terms and definitions of which have analogues in Russian: helicopter - helicopter, sniper - shooter, submarine - submarine, aviator - pilot, etc.

Lexicography of military terms

Collecting together a significant “military” arsenal of a language by compiling a dictionary of military terms is not an easy task. On the one hand, the scope of language opens up here, on the other hand, there is a specific urgent need for codification and systematization, associated, among other things, with the legal side of the military life of society.

In 2011, a team of authors, under the general editorship of D. O. Rogozin, prepared a large scientific work - a unique dictionary-reference book “War and Peace in Terms and Definitions.” This dictionary of military terms is dedicated to all the groups of specific terminology we previously named. It embodied articles devoted to special names within various sections - the theme of war and peace, military affairs, military history, modern current issues of national and international security. So, for example, the Dictionary interprets martial law - a term that is heard even in peaceful areas:

martial law - the strategic deployment of armed forces in accordance with the requirements of war (i.e., bringing them to the highest

The terminological system of the Dictionary reveals the problems of military science and the theory of wars, history and classification of the Armed Forces and weapons, as well as economics, geography, pedagogy, history and law related to this area.

Military terms in the “living” language system

As you know, life does not stand still. In the modern world, military terms, as well as the objects they denote, are in a state of dynamic development in the conditions of continuous scientific and technological progress. Particularly difficult is the systematization of such a huge corpus of lexemes: according to L. F. Parparov, the number of supplies in modern armed forces reaches about 3 million items.

In addition, it has been noted that the intensification of the “reproduction” of specific terms and definitions occurs during militaristic “outbursts”, namely during periods of armed clashes, revolutionary coups, conflicts on ethnic and religious grounds: terrorism, separatism, “Bandera”, martyrs, “ suicide belt" etc.

Military terminology in speech

The scope of use of military terms is not limited to headquarters and barracks, front lines and rear areas - political events, the situation in the Russian army, military conflicts are covered on the pages of popular newspapers and magazines, television programs, and, of course, the author-military journalist cannot do without special vocabulary .

Linguist S.G. Ter-Minasova noted that in the dictionary of the Russian literary language there is a “reserve” of 98 options for denoting physical violence, and only 11 words and phrases for expressing kindness and humility. It is surprising that even in the everyday use of language there is hidden a significant arsenal of “spears and arrows.”

The role of metaphor in military terminology

Considering the history of mankind as a continuous “history of wars,” it can be noted that military vocabulary has penetrated into many areas of life (politics, diplomacy, journalism, private conversations and everyday communication), entangling them in a network of metaphors: the struggle for purity, war with a pen; face masks are jokingly called the “heavy artillery” in women’s skin care arsenal, etc.

Metaphorical expressions are also present in the speech of the military themselves, and sometimes some new weapons are called with a “poetic accent”, for example: the 2S4 “Tulpan” self-propelled mortar, the 2S1 “Gvozdika” self-propelled artillery mount, the 2A36 “Gyacinth-B” towed gun, the heavy flamethrower TOS-1 "Buratino" system, intercontinental strategic complex "Topol-M", etc.

The transfer of meaning in military terminology is often based on an individual's associative impression or experience. Therefore, to express the concept, words are used that express an everyday name or concept: booby trap; tank "caterpillars"; “death scythe” (machine gun during the First World War); tank, lokhan (tank during the First World War), Tsar Tank, “Rook” (Su-25 aircraft).

The problem of translating military terms

When translating foreign language texts containing military terms and definitions, difficulties often arise due to language inconsistencies caused by:

lack of analogy between concept and reality (Army is the Ground Forces, not the army);
inconsistency or incomplete coincidence of terms (Military Academy is a military school, not a military academy);
differences in the rank systems of different countries;
differences in the structure of organizational structures (a troop in the British Army is a platoon, and in the US Army it is a reconnaissance company);
a short “life period” of individual terms (for example, the dictionaries of the terms of the First and Second World Wars are significantly different, although less than 30 years passed between them);
a significant number of abbreviations and abbreviations that are difficult to decipher;
an abundance of slang expressions (My feet are dry - I’m flying over land; No joy - the target is not detected).

The problem of the term and military terminology. Military terms and definitions Basic military terms

Lexicology and autonomy of lexical meanings of polysemantic words

Determine the functional-style and emotional-expressive coloring of the given words and phrases. Explain the meaning of phraseological units

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The problem of the term and military terminology. Military terms and definitions Basic military terms

Lexicology and autonomy of lexical meanings of polysemantic words

Determine the functional-style and emotional-expressive coloring of the given words and phrases. Explain the meaning of phraseological units

Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below

Similar documents

Purpose of military terminology

Classification of military terms and definitions

Development of terminology in Russian

Lexicography of military terms

Military terms in the “living” language system

Military terminology in speech

The role of metaphor in military terminology

The problem of translating military terms

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