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Term

Summary​

A Term is a word or phrase (i.e.: text) that is used to represent (identify) a specific semantic unit, e.g. a concept, relation or mental model, in a particular scope:

  • a single term may (and typically does) have different meanings (semantics) in different scopes/contexts. For example, in the context of a beauty-salon, the term 'nail' has a different meaning than in the context of constructing buildings.
  • different terms (in the same, or different scopes/contexts) may have the same meaning (i.e. represent the same concept (synonymity, alias).

The precise meaning of a term thus depends on the scope/context in which it is used. We use the phrase scoped term to refer to a term that is part of one particular scope/context, and refers to a single concept (or other semantic unit), and hence is unambiguous.

Terms may come in different (grammatical) forms. For example, words/phrases such as 'terms', 'term's', or 'term(s)' are different forms of the word 'term'. Within TEv2, words/phrases that are such different forms are called 'form phrases. They can be specified in the curated text that documents the semantic unit to which they (and the term they are varieties of) refer.

The TermRef syntax specification specifies the syntax that authors should use as they want to use a specific term in their text.

The terminology pattern provides an overview of how this concept fits in with related concepts.

Purpose​

Understanding words or phrases uttered by others requires that we are able to 'translate' them into terms that we habitually use, i.e. with the meaning of which we are familiar. While this is mostly an (unconscious) automatism, and it is often also not necessary to be very precise, this may be different when they relate to stuff we find important. The ability to represent a specific concept (or other semantic unit) with a specific text or phrase, where this 'representation' is limited to a specific (or several) context(s), helps us to better interpret these words, which is: to properly understand what others actually try to convey in spoken or written language.

Criteria​

A term is a word or phrase (i.e.: text) that is used in at least one scope/context, in each of which it represents (and identifies)) one specific semantic unit that is part of the knowledge of the community that owns that scope.

Notes​

There is an important distinction between concepts (and other semantic units) and the (multitude of) terms (names, labels) that we need to be able to talk and reason (argue) about them. Please consider that

  • different terms are used in different contexts for representing a single concept;
  • in different contexts, a single term may represent different concepts;
  • to resolve terminological disputes, which usually are about the 'correct' meaning of a term, try to establish the criteria that the different participants use for the concept behind the term. That helps participants understand each others (different) positions, and provides a better basis for resolving the conflict.

Footnotes​