Sanastosanaston

Sanastosanaston is a term encountered in some Finnish-language theoretical discussions to denote a meta-glossary: a systematic collection of glossaries and vocabulary lists, with their definitions, usage notes, and cross-references. The word blends sanasto (vocabulary) with sanaston, the genitive, yielding the sense "the vocabulary of vocabularies." In practice, it is described as a higher-order reference resource that organizes terms across multiple glossaries rather than within a single list.

Its stated purpose is to support cross-lingual alignment and semantic interoperability in multilingual lexicography and terminology management. A sanastosanaston aims to standardize how terms are described and linked, enabling mapping of concepts across languages, domains, and glossary collections. It can also provide mechanisms for provenance, versioning, and change tracking of terms.

Entries typically include the term, a concise definition, part of speech, domain, language variants, and cross-references to related terms. They may also list usage notes, etymology, synonyms, and cross-glossary relations. Links between entries help users navigate related concepts across different glossaries.

Applications include multilingual terminology databases, digital dictionaries, and NLP resources that require stable meta-knowledge about vocabulary items. The concept aims to improve information retrieval and scholarly analysis by offering a higher-order index of conceptual terms. Challenges include defining scope, ensuring consistency, and maintaining updates as terminology evolves.

Because sanastosanaston is not standardized in published lexicography, discussions are largely theoretical or experimental. Proponents emphasize interoperability benefits, while critics note complexity and governance demands in maintaining a meta-glossary. Related concepts include meta-glossary, lexicon, and interlingual dictionary.