Vocabulary
Related: definition - dictionary - glossary - language - SIPs - taxonomy - thesaurus - term - word
Definition
A vocabulary is a set of words that a given person knows, or that one is being taught in a specific language.The word is also used figuratively for qualities or techniques distinctive to a particular style, especially an architectural style. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocabulary [Sept 2004]
Controlled vocabulary
A controlled vocabulary (also called a taxonomy) is a carefully selected list of words and phrases, which are used to tag units of information so that they may be more easily retrieved by a search. The terms are chosen and organized by trained professionals (including librarians and information scientists) who possess expertise in the subject area. Controlled vocabulary terms can accurately describe what a given document is actually about, even if the terms themselves do not occur within the document's text. Fully developed controlled vocabulary systems, such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings, are often published in a reference work that is called a thesaurus. Controlled vocabularies form part of a larger universe of nomenclatural approaches to data classification called metadata. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_vocabulary [Nov 2005]
Defining vocabulary
A defining vocabulary is a published, stable, and culturally accepted core glossary specifically used by dictionary publishers to standardize their use of simple words to explain complex words, and culture-specific idioms or metaphors. It can also be published as a defining dictionary, but the most common use of such dictionaries is to assist in creating new dictionaries.
An example of a useful published vocabulary is Basic English (850 words). The defining vocabulary used by Longmans to define its 4000 most common English language idioms is about 2000 words long. The English variant E-Prime is designed to avoid any judgemental statements, and so also may be useful for a neutral defining vocabulary. --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defining_vocabulary [Sept 2006]
See also: definition - vocabulary
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