Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
identity (
Kadmon 2002
). Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the
European Community (INSPIRE) is defining geographical name as proper
noun applied to real world entities (INSPIRE 2009). If we limit our obser-
vations on the Earth (e.g. geographical names), as INSPIRE is doing, the
fundamental difference is that UNGEGN is defining named place as the
portion of the surface of Earth that has recognizable identity, and INSPIRE
is defining named place as real world entity. These differences can cause
different interpretations of formal representation of named places in a uni-
verse of discourse and difference in definition of conceptual domain
ontology.
Place name is complex object. Its definition includes more elements. The
second level on the
Figure 1
is essential for place name (toponym)
definition. The name should be assigned to place (feature/object). Time is
usually not explicitly defined. But, without time distinction between
historical and present toponyms cannot be made. Because standardization
of geographical names is bounded to present geographical names without
time entity it cannot be formally defined.
The third level is defining concept of a universe of discourse. It is interpre-
tation of real world and in the case of the definition of toponym, it has a lot
of limitations. The toponyms are defined in different epochs, mostly the
centuries ago. In that time linguistic relations and definitions were differ-
ent. Today linguistic is frame for judging toponym from todays' linguistic
point of view. Feature type, shape and position are defining idealization of
real place that is named. Feature catalog as definition of feature types is set
of final number of feature classes, and definitions of feature types are de-
fining perception of real world object. Feature shape is defining shape of
real world feature, and geometrical presentation of feature shape is limited
by density of features, scale, etc.
Ontologies may be developed at different levels. Global, domain, and appli-
cation ontology levels can be recognized (ISO 2010a). A global ontology
defines approach to identify philosophical, general ontological perspective.
The domain ontology defines concepts that are specific to a body of
knowledge and in this work to problem of place names. It requires more
detail development focused on knowledge base. Application ontology
