Skip to main content

Form Phrase

A Form Phrase is a word or phrase that occurs in oral or written texts and that refers to a particular semantic unit, yet is not (necessarily) the term that is used in the definition of that semantic unit. Form phrases can be, e.g., plural forms, possessive extensions, verb-conjugation forms, abbreviations, and other variations.

Purpose​

Form phrases act as (standardized, human readable) identifiers for semantic units, enabling consistent and unambiguous references across various texts such as manuals, specifications, and guidelines. This is particularly useful (if not vital) in fields where precise terminology is key, ensuring that all stakeholders have a common understanding of the terms used and thereby reducing the potential for misinterpretation or confusion.

Specifying Form Phrases in Curated Texts​

Form phrases are to be specified in (the `formPhrases` field of) the header of the curated text that describes the semantic unit to which it refers. Here is an example:
formPhrases: [ "actor", "actors", "actor's", "actor(s)", "human actor", "machine actor" ]

This specifies that whenever a TermRef is being converted by the TRRT, and the showtext or the term parts of that TermRef are any of these formPhrases, then the TermRef refers to the semantic unit that is documented by that curated text.

Note that the specification of a form phrase may include a form-phrase-macro, for which several are [predefined](form-phrase macro#predefineds@). The example below is the equivalent specification as above:

formPhrases: [ "actor{ss}", "human actor", "machine actor" ]

The same varieties can easily be added for the human and machine actors, as follows

formPhrases: [ "actor{ss}", "human actor{ss}", "machine actor{ss}" ]

Using Form Phrases​

Form phrases are used to refer to a particular semantic unit as known in a particular terminology. In other words, they must identify the MRG entry that documents this semantic unit.

Identification of the MRG entry is straightforward. The input of this process is a text that is typically a form phrase that does not contain a form phrase macro, or a (partially) regularized form phrase. This input is then 'regularized', which produces a regularized form phrase that can then be matched against the elements of the `formPhrases` fields of the MRG entries in the MRG of the default or specified terminology.

Guidance for choosing Form Phrases​

  1. Character Composition: A form phrase is composed of a sequence of characters that may include letters, numbers, and spaces. Spaces are permissible if they are a standard part of the term (e.g., "hard drive").

  2. Limited Special Characters: Generally, a form phrase should not contain special characters like punctuation marks (.,;:!? etc.), except for hyphens, underscores, or other characters if they are an integral part of the term (e.g., "non-refundable", "e-mail").

  3. Case Sensitivity: While a form phrase may include uppercase or lowercase letters, it is typically treated as case-insensitive during the matching process. This ensures that variations in capitalization do not affect the identification of the term.

  4. Adherence to Language Rules: A form phrase should conform to the grammatical and morphological rules of the language it's used in, including correct spelling and, where applicable, pluralization or possessive forms.

  5. Uniqueness within Context: Each form phrase must be unique within its context or domain to avoid ambiguities. It should not overlap with or be a substring of another form phrase within the same set of terms.

  6. Contextual Relevance: The form phrase should be relevant to its context and accurately represent the term or concept it's associated with, aligning with domain-specific terminology and usage.