Another Word For It Patrick Durusau on Topic Maps and Semantic Diversity

May 2, 2015

Homonyms on EOL

Filed under: Homonymous — Patrick Durusau @ 8:50 pm

Homonyms on EOL [Encyclopedia of Life]

From the webpage:

Please join the Homonym Hunters community and help us find all the homonyms on EOL!

This collection is for all kinds of homonyms:

Cross-code homonyms

Homonyms across nomenclatural codes (ICBN, ICZN, ICNB, ICTV) are allowed, so there are plenty of them. Example: Satyrium, the orchid genus and Satyrium, the butterfly genus.

Cross-rank homonyms

At least in zoological nomenclature, homonyms are allowed if they refer to groups at different ranks. Example: Polyphaga, the roach genus and Polyphaga, the beetle suborder.

Invalid homonyms

Within codes and ranks, homonyms are not allowed, so only one of the homonymous names can be valid/accepted. If EOL gets these invalid names from a provider, we will have a page for it. Example: Acanthurus, the surgeon fish genus and Acanthurus, the weevil genus.

Comprehensive lists of homonyms have also been compiled elsewhere:

Systema Naturae 2000: Homonyms

Wikispecies: List of valid homonyms

In topic map parlance, the identification of homonyms across nomenclatural codes and across different ranks translates into setting the scope on a homonym.

That helps both people and machines in distinguishing homonyms.

For merging purposes, that also helps merge homonyms correctly. For example, Aaron Black tweeted:

kirstie-alley

As seen in the Washington Post.

Close to being a homonym anyway. 😉 I could distinguish Kirstie Alley from any possible Christie ally, even on a bad day. Our machines, not so much.

HT: Sam Hunting for the tweet.

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