A linguistic view of subject formation process as described by Ranganathan andothers

Abstract

The basic implication of a subject in the context of library and information science is outlined here. It is pointed outthat the purview of library and information science mostly reckons any subject in the form of some either assigned orderived terms or keywords. The basic concepts of words as per the scope of linguistics are also provided. Different modes offormation of complex and compound subjects as enunciated by Ranganathan are described. The modes of formation ofcompound words as depicted in linguistics have been described and compared with different modes of formation of complexand compound subjects as portrayed by Ranganathan, Neelameghan, Seetharama and Sen. It has been observed that thereare similarities between modes of formation of words and subjects. As similarities are observed at the very basic foundationlevel between words and subjects, therefore it has been concluded that there may be some similarities of intrinsic propertiesbetween them. The specific words belonging to a particular subject domain or subject-specific words that are commonlyknown as keywords may thus be recognized as eventual denomination or fundamental building block of the concernedsubject. The keywords may thus be looked upon as molecule of a subject from linguistic viewpoint.