Language registers

ISO classification

This data is protected by ISO copyrights. Any reproduction, save the one included in the User's guide of the Dhydro software, developed in the framework of the MLIS-DHYDRO project, is prohibited.

Abstract from the ISO standard 12620

A.2.3.3 Register

DESCRIPTION : Classification indicating the relative level of language individually assigned to a lexeme or term or to a text type.

NOTE : In some regions and terminology management environments (for instance, family planning medicine), the categorization of terms according to registers can be critical.

PERMISSIBLE INSTANCES : Types of register qualifiers that can be relevant in terminology work include:

a) neutral register

DESCRIPTION : The register appropriate to general texts or discourse.

b) technical register

DESCRIPTION : the register appropriate to scientific texts or special languages.

c) in-house register

DESCRIPTION : the register of terms that are company-specific and not readily recognized outside this environment.

EXAMPLE : In-house usage at one automative company for the automative tuning characteristic gear rattle is crowds.

NOTE : The internal terminology is not necessarily equivalent to bench-level terminology. Terminology can reach a very high level of elaboration. Internal terminology often leads to a new technical terminology that is eventually accepted at a wider scale.

d) bench-level register

ADMITTED TERM : shop term

DESCRIPTION : The register of terms used in applications-oriented as opposed to theoretical or academic levels of language.

EXAMPLE: The retrieval end of a broach is commonly called a puller in bench-level usage.

e) slang register

DESCRIPTION : An extremely informal register of a word, term or text that is used in spoken and everyday language and less commonly in documents.

EXAMPLE : In aviation, the phrase fly by the seat of your pants is slang for the more formal fly without instruments.

f) vulgar register

DESCRIPTION : The register of a term or text type that can be characterized as profane or socially unacceptable.

NOTE : Although vulgar register is avoided in formal technical terminology, languages with broad distribution such as English or Spanish can require the documentation of problematic terms that vary in register from region to region.