Consistency of Turkish zoological terminology with scientific literature

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study is to examine the compatibility of zoology-related terms in the Turkish Dictionary with contemporary scientific literature and to evaluate the adequacy of dictionary resources in representing emerging scientific disciplines. Despite the established role of terminology in scientific literature and knowledge sharing, sufficient research has not been conducted on the extent to which dictionaries include vocabulary specific to particular fields. In this context, the study is considered useful for interventions related to corpus planning of Turkish vocabulary. A qualitative case study design was employed to identify 520 entries classified in the zoology category of the Turkish Dictionary. The entries in the zoology category were analyzed and compared with frequently used keywords identified through bibliometric analysis of publications in national and international databases, including the Web of Science. The results of the study indicate that the Turkish Dictionary adequately represents the fundamental concepts in zoology; however, it only partially covers the terminology used in international publications originating in Turkey. Notable gaps were identified in both established and emerging areas, particularly taxonomy and biodiversity, molecular genetics, biotechnology, and environmental terminology. These findings underscore the need to update national dictionaries systematically and to enhance collaboration between lexicographers and field experts. This study contributes to corpus planning research by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between national lexicographic resources and contemporary scientific usage. The findings also have implications for the systematic standardization and updating of scientific Turkish.

The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Language Problems & Language Planning, 2026 · DOI ↗