termsinjury

Termsinjury is a coined term used in online lexicography and terminology studies to describe a phenomenon whereby specialized terms lose precision or are misused as they are transferred between domains, over time, or through imperfect editing. The term is not established in major dictionaries and appears mainly in informal discussions about terminology quality. In practice, termsinjury refers to three related patterns: semantic drift (a term's meaning shifts away from its original precise sense); misapplication (a term is used in a context where it does not fit); and orthographic or typographic corruption (typos, optical character recognition errors, or altered spellings that produce misleading variants). Causes include the widening of jargon to lay audiences, rapid translation, insufficient editorial review, and automated content generation.

Impact and mitigation: termsinjury can lead to misunderstandings, documentation inconsistencies, and safety or compliance risks in specialized fields. It reduces information quality and can hinder effective communication. Mitigation strategies include maintaining controlled vocabularies or glossaries, conducting regular term audits, publishing precise definitions, and implementing quality controls in translation and transcription workflows. Encouraging clear governance of terminology, documenting usage notes, and separating domain-specific terms from general language can also help prevent termsinjury.

Notes: termsinjury is a descriptive label for a set of common terminology errors rather than a formal diagnostic category. See also semantic drift, terminology management, and controlled vocabulary practices.