Kaardistus

Kaardistus is an Estonian noun meaning the act or result of mapping. The word is formed from kaart, map, with the suffix -istus that denotes a process or state. The term is used across different domains to describe the creation of representations that connect elements from one domain to another.

In cartography and geography, kaardistus refers to mapmaking and the production of geographic representations. This includes gathering spatial data, deciding on scales and symbols, and presenting information in a legible, coherent map. It can also describe the transformation of geographic data between coordinate systems or projections, which is essential for integrating data from diverse sources.

In information technology and data management, kaardistus commonly denotes data mapping—the process of linking fields from one data structure to corresponding fields in another. Data mapping is a fundamental step in data integration, ETL (extract, transform, load) processes, database migrations, and interoperability between software systems. It establishes the correspondence necessary for accurate data transfer and transformation.

In mathematics and related fields, kaardistus is sometimes used to refer to a mapping, that is, a function from one set to another. While many texts prefer more formal terminology such as function or mapping, kaardistus appears in less formal or translated contexts as a liberal term for the concept of assigning elements of a domain to elements of a codomain.

Overall, kaardistus covers both the practical creation of maps in geography and the abstract notion of connect­ing elements across domains in data and mathematical contexts.