FIG Multilingual Technical Dictionary

Already in 1971 a Dictionary for the surveyors' environment was published:

"Technical Dictionary - 
Terms and Definitions as used in Surveying and Mapping in Germany with Equivalent Technical Terms in English and French"
Preliminary Edition

Some things never change but some things have changed rapidly.

Progress in science and technology made it necessary to revise the Preliminary Edition. This huge work started between 1984 and 1990.

The result is something to rely on:

Terms selected by competent technical committees, defined by competent specialists, English and French terms checked by competent native speakers.

FIG Multilingual Dictionary

The following organisations stand for the quality of the Dictionary:

• German Association of Surveying (DVW)
• Working Committee of the Surveying Authorities of the Federal Republic of Germany (AdV)
• The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Association Française de Topographie (AFT)
• Ordre des Géomètres-Experts (OGE)
• International Federation of Surveyors (FIG).

They created the FIG Multilingual Dictionary
... helping surveyors to communicate.

Each volume of the Dictionary contains

• Foreword and Introduction in German, English and French each
• the Dictionary Tern and Definitions as used in Surveying and Mapping in Germany with Equivalent Technical Terms in English and French
• Register of the equivalent English and French terms.

How does the Dictionary look like?

What's new?

• Vocabulary and definitions are on the level of development of surveying and mapping at the best beginning of the nineties. 
• Quality and number of English and French equivalent terms have considerably increased as a result of checking by native speakers, specialists in their fields.
• The number of entries per volume increased by about 30 per cent as compared to the Preliminary Edition.

Already published as revised edition

Volume 3: Geodetic Surveying
558 entries, DM 16.10 / € 8.23
ISBN 3-88648-059-3

Volume 4: Cadastral Surveying and Cadastre
2^nd, supplemented edition, 894 entries, DM 28.90 / € 14.78
ISBN 3-88648-091-7

Volume 5: Geodetic Instruments
974 entries, DM 36.40 / € 18.61

Volume 6: Topography
529 entries, DM 14.50 / € 7.41

Volume 10: Engineering Surveying
381 entries, DM 14.50 / € 7.41

Volume 11: Hydrographic Surveying
381 entries, DM 20.40 / € 10.43
ISBN 3-88648-058-5

Volume 12: Mine Surveying
1309 entries, DM 23.60 / € 12.07
ISBN 3-88648-025-9

Volume 13: Property Valuation
337 entries, DM 11.80 / € 7.67

Volume 14: Land Consolidation
262 entries, DM 11.80 / € 6.03

Volume 15: Urban Planning, Regional Policy
496 entries, DM 17.70 / € 9.05
ISBN 3-88648-057-7

Prices plus post and package!

The following volumes are in preparation

Volume 1: Theory of errors, adjustment methods and mathematical statistics

Volume 2: Geodesy

Volume 7: Photogrammetry

Volume 8: Cartography

Volume 17: General Terms

Technical Dictionary

Terms and Definitions as used in Surveying and Mapping in Germany with Equivalent Technical Terms in English and French

Editorial Office / Information

FIG Office 14 July 2001. Revised 2 February 2026

This page is maintained by the FIG Office. Last revised on 26-02-02.