Présentation. Terminologie et transfert des connaissances : enjeux et défis de la traduction et de la communication spécialisée au XXIe siecle

Terminology plays a fundamental role in the construction, organisation and dissemination of scientific, technical and professional knowledge. As a phenomenon with cognitive, linguistic and cultural dimensions, it helps shape the conceptual networks through which expert communities develop, structure and transmit their subjects of inquiry and their content. By ensuring the internal coherence and referential precision of specialised discourse, it also determines its circulation and uptake beyond expert circles: whether it is involved in the formalisation and standardisation of conceptual systems, in the naming of emerging phenomena, or in mediating between institutional actors, specialists and non-specialist audiences, terminology ensures the continuity of knowledge transfer processes and the quality of specialised communication. Terminology is examined in the ten articles brought together in this issue 38/2 of ‘TTR’ as a key tool for knowledge transfer, one that should be understood from a dual perspective. On the one hand, several contributions focus on analysing its role in the construction of scientific and technical discourse in the modern era, highlighting the historical and epistemological foundations of terminological practices. On the other hand, the aim is to examine contemporary challenges related to specialised translation, the use and dissemination of terminological resources, and the training of language professionals. Translation and terminology have historically been key vehicles for the circulation of knowledge, the development of disciplines and the structuring of specialist languages. These studies are part of this tradition whilst re-examining it in the light of contemporary changes in linguistic, scientific and technological practices.