Tehninimi

Tehninimi is a term used to describe the formal designation assigned to a technological artifact, process, or organism within technical and scientific contexts. In Estonian-language usage it translates roughly to “technical name” and is employed to ensure precise identification in catalogs, standards, and databases. Tehninimi is typically distinct from common, brand, or marketing names, emphasizing clarity, stability, and interoperability across languages and systems.

Formation and scope. Tehninimi encompasses several naming traditions depending on the domain. For hardware and software, it often takes the form of model numbers, serial identifiers, or versioned labels (for example, a product code or a module identifier). In biology, universal tehninimi is represented by Latin binomials or other taxonomic identifiers that enable cross-border reference. In chemistry and materials science, systematic names following international conventions (such as IUPAC names or standardized identifiers) function as tehninimi. In information systems, persistent identifiers or UUIDs can serve as machine-readable tehninimi to guarantee stable references in databases and data exchanges.

Usage and purpose. Tehninimi provide unambiguous references in documentation, catalogs, safety data, technical standards, and metadata schemas. They are typically assigned by appropriate authorities—standards bodies, manufacturers, or taxonomists—and may be accompanied by user-friendly names to aid accessibility.

Limitations. Because tehninimi prioritize precision over familiarity, they can be opaque to non-specialists and often require mapping to more approachable names in consumer contexts.