DEMtermiä

DEMtermiä is a framework for dynamic terminology management designed for interoperable knowledge bases and AI systems. It defines a structured vocabulary in which terms can evolve with context while preserving traceable provenance. The DEMtermiä approach combines ontology-like relationships with embedding-based representations of usage context, enabling cross-domain connections and multilingual mapping. It supports versioned entries, domains of use, scope, and validation status, helping teams synchronize terminology across projects and platforms.

The term DEMtermiä originates from the DEM project, an initiative begun in the early 2030s by researchers seeking to harmonize technical vocabularies in fast-changing fields. The umlauted ending highlights a linguistic design choice within the project, but DEMtermiä as a concept is language-agnostic and intended for broad application.

In structure, a DEMtermiä entry consists of a label, a formal definition, domain labels, applicability scope, and a provenance record. Each term is linked to related terms through relationships such as is-a, broader/narrower, and related concepts. Context vectors capture typical usage scenarios, and the system maintains version histories to document definition changes over time. Governance rules specify validation workflows and role-based access to modify terms, ensuring accountability in environments with diverse contributors.

Applications include technical documentation, knowledge bases, scientific publishing, and AI alignment efforts where precise terminology is essential. DEMtermiä supports cross-disciplinary communication by enabling dynamic mappings between terms used in different fields, with automatic checks to flag ambiguity or drift. Critics emphasize the need for careful governance to prevent over-complexity and ensure accessibility for non-expert users.

See also: terminology management, knowledge graphs, ontologies, semantic networks.