Form – Meaning – Usage Synergy in LSP & Professional Communication: Computer Security in Terms of Frame Semantics

Abstract

This article deals with computer security terminology from the perspective of Fillmore’s
frame semantics. Cognitive linguists have proved that semantics is realised in context and contributes
to cognition. This article aims to analyse which semantic roles are prevalent for using
computer security terms in context. Our evidence proves that the term’s meaning and semantic role in the frame corresponding to a communicative event are interrelated. The research has been carried out on a manually collected corpus of computer security texts, comprising terms in their contexts. The data are analysed as follows. First, a thematic categorisation of terms is carried out. Then semantic frame modelling is applied. After that, we generalise our findings and achieve sufficient abstraction in the conclusion about the presence of form – meaning – usage interdependence in professional discourse and LSP. Finally, we discuss the place of semantic framing in the multimodality of professional communication regarding the logic and philosophy of language.