termsfor

Termsfor is a proposed relation used in linguistics and knowledge representation to link a linguistic term to the concept or referent it denotes. In dictionaries, lexical databases, and ontologies, the relation expresses that a given term is used to name a particular concept. The idea is to separate the notion of a concept from the word or phrase used to refer to it, enabling clearer cross-language and cross-domain mappings.

Usage and scope include applications in multilingual lexicons, thesauri, and knowledge graphs to consolidate synonyms and translations under a shared concept. Termsfor supports data exchange by providing a structured link between surface forms (terms) and underlying concepts, which can be multilingual and multi-domain. It can also aid lexical disambiguation by explicitly tying a term to a specific sense or referent.

Examples illustrate cross-lingual alignment: termsfor("apple", "fruit of Malus domestica") and termsfor("pomme", "fruit of Malus domestica") show how different terms denote the same concept. Similarly, termsfor("りんご", "fruit of Malus domestica") demonstrates cross-language mapping. In practice, termsfor pairs may be complemented by properties indicating language, register, or formality.

Relation to existing standards: The concept is related to SKOS labeling (prefLabel, altLabel) and to ontology mapping practices. Unlike labels alone, termsfor emphasizes the semantic link from term to concept rather than merely naming the concept. Limitations include handling polysemy, scope, and the evolution of terms over time. See also SKOS, rdfs:label, and ontology alignment.