Unravelling noun stringstoward an approach to the description of complex noun phrases in technical writing

Zusammenfassung

In this article we go into a thorough analysis of complex noun compounds in technical texts. We understand that a noun compound is a unit consisting of two or more nouns, plus such other parts of speech as are necessary, that together express a "single no un" idea or concept. We have analysed various examples taken randomly from different engineering publications in order to describe their use and, rather often, abuse in this context. The typology and main characteristics of complex noun compounds in ESP communication are discussed. Noun strings are not only specifically useful for enabling more concise, accurate and precise communication, but also because they often help to fill terminology gaps which refer to new concepts, improvements or discoveries. Besides, their semantic potential and high specialization are characteristics very much valued by technical writers.