Heterogeneous Synonymy: a Regular Stage in the Process of Standardisation of Lithuanian Computer Science Terminology

The article analyses the least negotiable group of the synonymy of terms – heterogeneous synonyms, i.e. the synonymy of Lithuanian terms and loanwords used in the field of computer science. Specifically, the focus is on the synonymy characteristic of the primary stages of terminology subsystems formation. The aim of the research is to examine the structure of heterogeneous synonymous terms and to analyse the changes of the synonymy in the computer science. In terms of origins, two groups of synonymous terms emerge in the “Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Computer Science”: those of single origins, i.e. purely Lithuanian or exclusively international synonymous terms, and those of various origins, i.e. Lithuanian and international synonymous terms. The terminology of computer science is mostly based on the heterogeneous synonymy. In terms of structure, heterogeneous synonymy in computer science is not uniform and can be divided into three subgroups: 1) lines of single-word synonymous terms; 2) lines of compound synonymous terms; 3) lines of mixed (single-word, two-word and three-word) synonymous terms. The results of the analysis carried out show that heterogeneous synonymy is a regular stage in the process of standardization of Lithuanian terminology of computer science. This stage is incomplete and the terminology is still being developed, therefore it is not fully formed and established