Scope note

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This class comprises associations between an instance of any class, and signs or arrangements of signs that are used to refer to and identify that instance.

Signs include alphanumeric characters, ideograms, notations such as chemical structure symbols, sound symbols, etc. The scripts or type sets for the symbols used to compose an instance of F12 Nomen have to be sufficiently specified. Spelling variants are regarded as different nomens, whereas the use of different fonts (visual representation variants) or different digital encodings do not change the identity.

An arbitrary combination of signs or symbols cannot be regarded as an appellation or designation until it is associated with something in some context. In that sense, the F12 Nomen class can be understood as the reification of a relationship between an instance of E1 CRM Entity and an instance of E41 Appellation. Two instances of F12 Nomen can happen to be associated with equivalent strings and yet remain distinct, as long as they refer to distinct instances of E1 CRM Entity. Furthermore, two instances of F12 Nomen referring to the same instance of E1 CRM Entity may be associated with equivalent strings, and remain distinct as long as they are associated with distinct properties of the F12 Nomen class (for example, having the same spelling in different languages, or being defined in different controlled vocabularies).

An instance of F12 Nomen associates a combination of signs with an instance of E1 CRM Entity on the basis of a cultural or linguistic convention: by associating a string with anything, the instance of F12 Nomen establishes a meaning that is not inherent in the instance of E62 String that is associated with it. Depending on context of use, nomens associated with equivalent strings can be associated with instances of different things in the real world even within the same language (polysemy and homonymy). Conversely, the same thing can be referred to through any number of nomens (synonymy). In the controlled environment of a bibliographic information system, though, homonymy is avoided.

Instances of F12 Nomen are assigned and associated with instances of E1 CRM Entity either formally (such as by bibliographic agencies) or informally through common usage. When they are assigned formally, the construction of the instances of E62 String that represent them may follow predetermined rules.

Language

en