Military terminology
Encyclopedia
Military terminology refers to the terms
and language of military
organizations and personnel as belonging to a discrete category, as distinguishable by their usage in military doctrine
, as they serve to depoliticise, dehumanise, or otherwise abstract discussion about its operations from an actual description thereof.
, have added additional complexity. For example, the NATO alliance now maintains a large dictionary
of common terms for use by member countries. Development work is also taking place between NATO and Russia on common terminology for extended air defence, in English, French and Russian.
Similar to "legal terminology" and related to "political terminology", military terms are known for an oblique tendency to incorporate technical language. In many cases it reflects a need to be precise. It can also reflect a perceived need for operational security, giving away no more information than needed. It can also serve to disguise or distort meaning as with doublespeak
.
Terminology
Terminology is the study of terms and their use. Terms are words and compound words that in specific contexts are given specific meanings, meanings that may deviate from the meaning the same words have in other contexts and in everyday language. The discipline Terminology studies among other...
and language of military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
organizations and personnel as belonging to a discrete category, as distinguishable by their usage in military doctrine
Military doctrine
Military doctrine is the concise expression of how military forces contribute to campaigns, major operations, battles, and engagements.It is a guide to action, not hard and fast rules. Doctrine provides a common frame of reference across the military...
, as they serve to depoliticise, dehumanise, or otherwise abstract discussion about its operations from an actual description thereof.
Common understanding
The operational pressure for uniform understanding has developed since the early 20th century with the importance of joint operations between different services (army, navy, air force) of the same country. International alliances and operations, including peacekeepingPeacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
, have added additional complexity. For example, the NATO alliance now maintains a large dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
of common terms for use by member countries. Development work is also taking place between NATO and Russia on common terminology for extended air defence, in English, French and Russian.
Criticism
Some claim military terms serve to depoliticise, dehumanize, or otherwise abstract discussion about operations from an actual description thereof.Similar to "legal terminology" and related to "political terminology", military terms are known for an oblique tendency to incorporate technical language. In many cases it reflects a need to be precise. It can also reflect a perceived need for operational security, giving away no more information than needed. It can also serve to disguise or distort meaning as with doublespeak
Doublespeak
Doublespeak is language that deliberately disguises, distorts, or reverses the meaning of words. Doublespeak may take the form of euphemisms , making the truth less unpleasant, without denying its nature. It may also be deployed as intentional ambiguity, or reversal of meaning...
.
See also
- :Category:Military terminology
- Glossary of German military terms
- Glossary of military abbreviationsGlossary of military abbreviationsList of terms, acronyms, information, related to modern armour, artillery, infantry, weapons, and related military subject matter.- A :* AA anti-aircraft* AAA anti-aircraft artillery "Triple A"* AAAV Advanced Amphibious Assault Vehicle...
- List of established military terms