Multimodal representation of specialised knowledge in ontology-based terminological databases: the case of EcoLexicon

Multimodality is the construction of meaning through multiple modes of communication suited to the needs of different users. In this article we discuss the issue of multimodality in EcoLexicon, a multimodal Terminological Knowledge Base on the environment, and focus on the role of images in the representation of specialised knowledge (entities, events, properties and relations). Finally, we propose a series of principles that should guide the selection of multimodal resources with a view to their inclusion in terminological entries, and in order to highlight the ontological structure of EcoLexicon.