Basisname

Basisname is a term used in information management to denote the minimal, canonical part of a name that uniquely identifies an entity within a namespace. It serves as a stable identifier used for indexing, matching, and deriving other forms such as aliases, display names, or regional variants. It is typically formed by stripping nonessential qualifiers like titles, versions, dates, or localization marks.

In computing and data modeling, the basis name functions as the canonical base from which derived names are created. A slug generated from the basis name can produce consistent, human-friendly URLs. In taxonomy or databases, the basis name may serve as the base identifier for an item, with additional attributes appended to variants in different contexts.

Etymology: from base or basis plus name; the term is used in English and related technical vocabularies to describe a stable core identifier.

Relationship to other naming forms: the basis name is distinct from a display name, which is tailored for human reading, and from an alias, which is an alternate label. A well-chosen basis name minimizes churn when context or localization changes.

Examples: A product database uses basis name "ethernet-switch" to identify a product family; the display name may be "Ethernet Switch" and locale-specific variants can be derived from the basis name. A digital library might use basis name "harper-annotated-edition" to derive edition-specific records.

See also: basename, slug, canonical form, identifier.