Alexandru Timotin, Florin Teodor Tãnãsescu * Structures for a Thesaurus of Technical Terminology

1. This relation allows vague subordinations according to disparate criteria and may be used also as a reserve relation. Its vague character allows the use of RL when no other ascendant relation, as SG, QE, DO, or PT, can link a given concept to an immediately superior one.
2. When a concept has a poor semantic vicinity and no immediately superior relative (into the given concept fund), one can use RL with the purpose of attaching it to a zone (Z), a sub-domain (Y), or a domain (X).
3. As a reserve relation, when no other ascendant relation fits, RL has to be used for some very evident and precise specific subordination, for instance those listed below:

   a) measuring instrument	[P]	< L	measured quantity / characteristic	[Q]
   ammeter	[P]	< L	(electric) current	[Q]
   permeameter	[P]	< L	magnetization curve	[Q]
   b) ideal, theoretical model	[G]	< L	concrete entity	[G]
   ideal resistor	[G]	< L	resistor	[C]
   c) set element / particular value	any	< L	set / quantity	any
   point[of the space]	[G]	< L	space	[G]
   maximum current	[Q]	< L	(electric) current	[Q]
   d) feature / quantity / qualifier	[Q]	< L	property / state	[Q]
   instability	[Q]	< L	state	[Q]
   sound frequency	[Q]	< L	sound pitch	[Q]
   static	[Q]	< L	state	[Q]

3.2.2. Priority hierarchical relations

One and only one of the ascendant relations of a concept will be chosen as a priority relation, so that a unique tree-like ordered configuration be generated. The priority relations will be designated by a double angular bracket:

<<G, <<T, <<E, <<O, <<L with their inverses >>S, >>P, >>Q, >>D, >>R

The selection of the priority ascendant relation is entirely pragmatic and related to the taxonomic structure of the concept fund, with the purpose of attaching any concept to a unique sub-domain or main domain.

3.2.3. Associative relations

The associative relations are binary and symmetrical, and relate concepts that are not in a clear hierarchical relation (there are particular situations when each of them seems subordinated to the other) but they can be related logically or factually. In general, these associations are not transitive, because each association may imply a different point of view. Therefore, they are not equivalence relations.

The introduction of these relations enriches the semantic vicinity of a concept by association of ideas, and can help the identification of the meaning through a nonhierarchical but suggestive context.

As mentioned above, we propose the use of four types of associative relations: the simple association, the definitional association, the antonymy, and the quasi-synonymy.

1) Simple association, with acronym AA and graphic symbol <->

This is an often used vague association, based on analogy, similarity, duality, factual closeness, or partial (context-dependent) synonymy. It should not be used if one of the three other associative relations is more adequate, or in case of concepts having the same hierarchical level and being closely related by successive ascendant and descendant relations ("brothers"). Examples of simple associations:

permeability	<->	permittivity
dissipation	<->	power loss
switchgear	<->	switching device

Remark: The permeability, respectively the permittivity are analogue constitutive properties, magnetic and, respectively, electric. There exist useful dissipation (in electroheating appliances) and power loss without dissipation (e.g. by radiation) and the two concepts cannot be hierarchized. Switchgear and switching device are partly synonyms, with different application areas.

Improper use of simple association (in case of "brother" concepts):

	(electric) generator	<->	(electric) motor
Because	(electric) generator	< G	(electric) machine
and	(electric) motor	< G	(electric) machine

are already associated via the proximate genus (electric) machine.

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