Between unification and diversity: Some considerations about terminographical practices Entre a unifica o e a diversidade: algumas considera es sobre práticas terminográficas

Seen in a historical perspective, languages have appeared to be a decisive aspect in the definition of national borders. Actually, the long lasting ideal of homogeneity and the defense of a mono-status in the field of languages, also spreads towards ethnic, religious and ideological questions. So is confirmed by Blommaert & Verschueren (1998) when affirming that accepting plurilingual societies was considered to be problem-prone, because they require forms of state organization that run counter to the ‘natural’ characteristics of groupings of people. This normalizing nature of homogenization has permeated language studies until today. Those tendencies also influenced language studies focused on the specialize field of communication, and contextualized the origin and development of the science in charge of the study of specialized lexicon: Terminology. It is our objective to tackle some theoretical questions regarding Terminology in both its normative and descriptive approaches, undertakings that respond to diverse interests and needs within specialized communication. There are references to some authors, whose works highlight social and communicative aspects of specialized lexicon - originally forgotten questions in the so called traditional Terminology. With this work, we want to stress how important it is to be aware that, either within a descriptive or normative perspective, there will be political, economic and social interests being defended at different levels of authority, aspects that will determine the Terminological planning and practice, at the end, a language practice. Ao longo da história, as línguas têm sido tomadas como pautas para demarcar fronteiras nacionais. O ideal, sempre defendido tem sido aquele de manter a homogeneidade, um status “mono” n o apenas em rela o à língua, mas também a quest es de etnia, religi o e ideologia. Assim o ratificam Blommaert & Verschueren (1998), afirmando que o plurilinguismo foi sempre considerado uma atitude perigosa para o Estado e a sua vis o “natural” de agrupar as pessoas. Esse caráter normalizador e homogeneizador tem permeado os estudos da linguagem até hoje. Essas tendências também influenciaram os estudos da linguagem no plano especializado da comunica o, e contextualizaram o surgimento e o desenvolvimento da ciência encarregada do estudo do léxico especializado: a Terminologia. Nosso objetivo é abordar algumas quest es teóricas em rela o à Terminologia, suas práticas normativas e descritivas, empreendimentos que respondem a diversos interesses e necessidades no ambito da comunica o. S o ref