COGNITIVE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING POLYSEMY FORMATION IN TERMINOLOGY

Abstract

This article investigates the cognitive underpinnings of polysemy in specialized terminology. Drawing on foundational work in cognitive semantics and terminology theory (Apresjan, 1974; Cabré, 1999; Cruse, 2000), it analyzes how metaphorical extension, metonymic shift, domain blending, and category restructuring drive the emergence of multiple related senses for single terms. Through a systematic review of key studies and illustrative examples from engineering, medical, and information‐science vocabularies, the study proposes a unified framework for mapping sense‐relations in terminological networks. Implications for lexicography, knowledge representation, and automated term‐disambiguation systems are discussed, offering practical guidelines for terminology management in professional and academic contexts