Indexing language

Indexing language is a set of items and devices for handling the relationships between them in a
system for providing index description. Indexing language is also referred to as retrieval
language.

Indexing language is an artificial language made up of expressions connecting several kernel

terms and adopted to the requirements of indexing.

Types of indexing languages

There are three main types of indexing languages.

Controlled indexing language – only approved terms can be used by the indexer to describe the
document
Natural language indexing language – any term from the document in question can be used to
describe the document.
Free indexing language – any term (not only from the document) can be used to describe the
document.

Natural Language (NL) versus Indexing Language

The differences between the natural language and indexing language are furnished below:

A natural language is a set of codes and their admissible expression used for communication of
ideas in speech and writing in our day to day life.
An indexing language is a set of codes and their admissible expression used for representing
the content of the documents as well as queries of the users.

A natural language is “natural” in the sense that it grows freely in the lips of human being, totally
free from any control whatever.
An indexing language is “artificial” in the sense that it may depend upon the vocabulary of a
natural language, though not always, but its syntax, semantics, and orthography would be
different from the natural language.

A natural language is developed for communication of ideas among human beings in their day
to day life.
Indexing language is developed and used for a special purpose, i.e. for the representation of the
thought content of the documents as well as queries of the users.

A natural language is a free language and there is no control of synonyms and homographs.
One concept may be denoted by more than one term. There is no standardization of terms or
words. Anybody can use any words/terms to express her his/ ideas.
An indexing language is a controlled language. There is a restriction in using the words/terms in
indexing language. Synonyms and homographs are controlled. There is standardization of
terms/words. One concept is denoted by only one term.

Natural language provides auxiliaries like prepositions, conjunctions, etc. to bring out the correct
meaning of the sentence.
Such auxiliaries are not available in an indexing language. The order of terms according to the
syntactical rules of an indexing language along with the relational symbols like role operators or
indicator digits bring the correct meaning of a subject heading.

Characteristics of Indexing Language

Like natural language, an indexing language consists of three elements: (a) Vocabulary (not free
vocabulary, but controlled vocabulary), (b) Syntax, and (c) Semantics. All the structured indexing
languages are based upon careful subject analysis.

Controlled Vocabulary: An indexing language operates with a controlled vocabulary. An IL

having controlled vocabulary attempting to indicate the relationship between terms in the index
vocabulary is systematically structured. The vocabulary of an IL is either verbal or coded.
Subject heading lists and thesauri come within the purview ofverbal controlled vocabulary. A
classification scheme employs coded vocabulary in the form of its notation. Thus, for example in
Colon Classification (CC) Schedule ‘Indian History’ is rendered as V44. In Sear’s List of Subject
Headings which employs verbal vocabulary, it is rendered as: India – History. There are also
controlled vocabularies like Thesaurofacet, Classaurus, etc., which possess both the
characteristics verbal as well as coded controlled vocabularies. In any case, the selection of
terms to be used in each discipline is primary and coding is done at a later stage. The need,
objectives, methods of vocabulary control, etc. are discussed in detail in another post.

Syntax: The etymological meaning of syntax is ‘putting things together in an orderly manner’. In
the context of an indexing language, syntax refers to a set of rules or grammar which governs
the sequence of words in a subject heading, or notations in a classification number.

Most of the subjects treated even in modern macro documents are of compound nature. This
means that the name of a subject can no longer be represented by a single word or term. When
a number of terms have to be used in representing the subject coextensively, the syntax is
necessary to put the terms in a most helpful and known searchable order. In other words, we
can say that syntax of an indexing language provides a pattern of the relationship which we
recognize between the terms used in the system, i.e. between the terms in the index vocabulary
or controlled vocabulary. This recognition is based on a careful subject analysis which is basic to
the indexing language.

The order of terms according to the rules of syntax of an indexing language assumes greater
importance of presenting the correct meaning of a subject heading. Apart from the order of
terms prescribed by its rules of syntax, it becomes necessary, at times, to use relational symbols
or indicator digits to bring out the correct relations between terms. In this connection, it is to be
pointed out here that natural language provides auxiliaries like prepositions, conjunctions, etc. to
bring out the correct meaning of the sentence. But in an indexing language, such auxiliaries are
not available and hence, the correct meaning of a subject heading has to be expressed largely
through the order of terms along with the relational symbols like role operators or indicator
digits. The syntactical relationship is documented dependent relationship.

Semantics: As stated earlier, semantics refers to the systematic study of how meaning is
structured, expressed and understood in the use of an indexing language. Various types of
semantic relationships are evident in an indexing language. These relationships include
equivalence relationships, hierarchical relationships, and associative relationships. Meaning of
the term can be derived from its hierarchy. The semantic relationship is documented
independent relationship. The syntactical rules of an indexing language are also used to resolve
the meaning of the term in a subject heading (consisting of a string of terms) through the
determination of context.