A terminology database (termbase) is a structured repository of specialized terms, their definitions, translations, and metadata. It is used in language technology, translation, and content management to ensure consistency, accuracy, and efficiency in multilingual communication.

How a Terminology Database Works

Data Collection – Terms are gathered from various sources (technical documents, dictionaries, industry standards).

Term Structuring – Each term is organized with metadata such as:

Definition – Explanation of the term’s meaning.

Language Variants – Translations into different languages.

Domain/Industry – The field where the term is used (e.g., medicine, law, AI).

Context & Examples – Sentences showing proper usage.

Synonyms & Abbreviations – Alternative terms and short forms.

Usage Notes – Specific rules or restrictions on the term's use.

Search & Retrieval – Users can find terms based on keywords, categories, or languages.

Integration with AI & Translation Tools – Terminology databases are linked to machine translation (MT) systems, CAT tools, and search engines to improve translation quality and semantic search.

Most Known Terminology Databases

IATE (Interactive Terminology for Europe) – https://iate.europa.eu/

The official EU terminology database, covering multiple domains and 24 EU languages.

Termium Plus – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/

Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank, available in English, French, and Spanish.

UNTERM (United Nations Terminology Database) – https://unterm.un.org/

The UN's multilingual terminology database covering official UN languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish).

FAO Term Portal – http://www.fao.org/faoterm/

A multilingual database focused on food, agriculture, and related sciences.

WIPO Pearl – https://www.wipo.int/pearl/

A terminology database developed by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), specialized in patents and IP-related terms.

  1. ISO Online Browsing Platform – https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/

    Contains terminology from international standards across various industries.

Industry-Specific Terminology Databases

  1. MedDRA (Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities) – https://www.meddra.org/

    • A multilingual medical terminology database used in regulatory affairs and pharmaceuticals.

  2. SNOMED CT – https://www.snomed.org/

    • A comprehensive, multilingual clinical terminology system used in healthcare.

  3. AGROVOC (FAO Agricultural Thesaurus) – https://agrovoc.fao.org/

    • Covers agriculture, fisheries, and related fields in multiple languages.

  4. EuroVoc – https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/eurovoc

    • A multilingual thesaurus covering EU policies and legislative terms.

  5. NASA Thesaurus – https://www.sti.nasa.gov/nasa-thesaurus/

    • Specialized vocabulary for aerospace, engineering, and scientific research.

  6. UMLS (Unified Medical Language System) – https://www.nlm.nih.gov/research/umls/

    • A comprehensive medical terminology resource maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Linguistic & Computational Resources

  1. BabelNet – https://babelnet.org/

    • A multilingual lexicalized semantic network that integrates WordNet, Wikipedia, and other sources.

  2. WordNet – https://wordnet.princeton.edu/

    • A large lexical database of English words, useful for natural language processing.

  3. ECHA Terminology – https://echa-term.echa.europa.eu/

    • A terminology database for chemical substances and environmental regulations.

 

For French

General & Multilingual Terminology Databases (Including French)

  1. IATE (Interactive Terminology for Europe) – https://iate.europa.eu/

    • Covers multiple domains in French and other EU languages.

  2. Termium Plus – https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/

    • Canada’s official French-English-Spanish terminology resource.

  3. UNTERM (United Nations Terminology Database) – https://unterm.un.org/

    • Multilingual database, including French, used in the UN.

  4. EuroVoc – https://op.europa.eu/en/web/eu-vocabularies/eurovoc

    • The European Parliament’s French-English thesaurus.

  5. ISO Online Browsing Platform – https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/

    • Contains ISO-standardized French terminology across various domains.

Industry-Specific French Terminology

  1. FranceTerme (Commission Générale de Terminologie et de Néologie) – https://www.culture.fr/franceterme

    • Official French terminology for new words and technical fields.

  2. Grand Dictionnaire Terminologique (GDT) – https://www.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/ressources/gdt.html

    • A French-specific terminology database by the Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF).

  3. Banque de données terminologiques et linguistiques du Québec (BDL) – https://www.bdl.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/

    • Quebec’s linguistic and terminology database, useful for French language usage.

  4. WIPO Pearl – https://www.wipo.int/pearl/

    • French terminology for intellectual property and patents.

  5. MedDRA (Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities) – https://www.meddra.org/

    • French medical terminology for regulatory activities.

  6. SNOMED CT (Système de nomenclature médical standardisé) – https://www.snomed.org/

    • A structured French medical terminology system.

  7. ECHA-Term (European Chemicals Agency Terminology) – https://echa-term.echa.europa.eu/

    • French terminology for chemicals and environmental regulations.

Linguistic & Computational Resources

  1. BabelNet – https://babelnet.org/

    • A French lexical network that connects WordNet, Wikipedia, and multilingual data.

  2. Dictionnaire Électronique des Synonymes (DES) – http://www.crisco.unicaen.fr/des/

    • A free French synonym dictionary, useful for NLP tasks.

  3. Le Trésor de la Langue Française Informatisé (TLFi) – http://atilf.atilf.fr/tlf.htm

    • A digitized version of the French language reference dictionary.

For Arabic

General & Multilingual Terminology Databases (Including Arabic)

  1. IATE (Interactive Terminology for Europe) – https://iate.europa.eu/

    • Covers multiple domains, including Arabic translations for some terms.

  2. UNTERM (United Nations Terminology Database) – https://unterm.un.org/

    • The official UN terminology database, covering Arabic alongside English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese.

  3. ISO Online Browsing Platform – https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/

    • Contains Arabic technical terminology from ISO standards.

  4. WIPO Pearl – https://www.wipo.int/pearl/

    • Multilingual terminology related to intellectual property, including Arabic.

  5. FAO Term Portal – http://www.fao.org/faoterm/

    • A multilingual agricultural terminology database that includes Arabic.

Industry-Specific Arabic Terminology

  1. Arabterm (Arab Organization for Translation) – http://www.arabterm.org/

    • A technical and scientific terminology database in Arabic, English, French, and German.

  2. ECHA-Term (European Chemicals Agency Terminology) – https://echa-term.echa.europa.eu/

    • Arabic terminology for chemicals and environmental regulations.

  3. MedDRA (Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities) – https://www.meddra.org/

    • Arabic terminology related to medicine and pharmaceuticals.

  4. SNOMED CT (Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine – Clinical Terms) – https://www.snomed.org/

    • A comprehensive clinical terminology system, available in Arabic.

  5. WHO Terminology (World Health Organization) – https://www.who.int/

    • WHO provides multilingual medical terminology, including Arabic.

Linguistic & Computational Resources

  1. BabelNet – https://babelnet.org/

    • A multilingual semantic network including Arabic words, concepts, and translations.

  2. Al-Qamoos (القاموس المحيط) – https://www.alqamoos.org/

    • An Arabic dictionary and terminology reference.

  3. Arabic Ontology – http://ontology.birzeit.edu/

    • A structured Arabic lexical ontology, useful for NLP and AI applications.

  4. Tashkeel (Arabic Linguistic Resources) – https://tashkeel.org/

    • Provides Arabic NLP resources, including dictionaries and morphological analysis.

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