Suomalais-venäläinen terveydenhuoltoalan sanakirja asioimistulkeille

Erikoispiirteitä ja laatimisperiaatteita

Authors

• Olga Semenova Tampereen yliopisto

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61200/mikael.129287

Keywords:

medical dictionary, medical terminology, doctor–patient communication, community interpreting, healthcare interpreting

Abstract

Increasing internationalisation has resulted in a growing need for community interpreting in Finland. Healthcare is one of the most challenging domains for community interpreters, as misunderstandings, especially those caused by the use of incorrect terminology, may at worst cost peoples’ lives. In this paper, I describe the process of compiling a Finnish-Russian thematic dictionary for doctor-patient communication aimed at professional community interpreters. I start by describing the theoretical background of dictionary planning and by analysing the information needs of the target group. In addition, I describe some features of the medical language for special purposes. I then describe the selection of dictionary sources and the mega-, macro-, and micro-structure of the dictionary. Finally, I reflect on some challenges encountered in this project, such as conceptual gaps and the treatment of synonyms. The dictionary can be further developed by increasing its disease-specific part, adding verbs and usage examples, and customising the electronic version for various target groups and purposes.