How to translate the Croatian term “geodezija” into English

Abstract

The paper examines how the Croatian term geodezija should be translated into English. Although the standard scientific translation is geodesy, the author points out that in English this term often denotes a narrower discipline focused on satellite and physical geodesy. In Croatian terminology, geodezija encompasses cartography, photogrammetry and remote sensing, marine, satellite and physical geodesy, applied geodesy, and geomatics. The response generated by ChatGPT likewise confirms that geomatics is the closest English equivalent to Croatian geodezija understood as a profession in its entirety. The author concludes that in English professional terminology, geodesy is a part of geomatics, while in the Croatian classification of sciences, geomatics is a part of geodesy, and calls on professionals to contribute to further discussion of this terminology.