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TopA Universal Modeling System
We will now introduce our modeling technique and its sound-symbolic basis with the help of tables (Adi, 2007; Adi, Ewell, Vogel, Payton & Hippchen, in press). We focused our search for sound symbolism on Arabic because, unlike other languages, its sounds and words remained unchanged for 1,400 years. For example, anger stems from German ärger (=annoyance), anxiety stems from German angst (=fear).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Algorithmic Model: A model in the form of an algorithm.
General Algorithmic Model (GAM): A model that is constructed from the word root of the name of a thing using Table 1 and Table 2a & b . It represents a vague view of the modeled thing as a flow of general types of interactions among general types of processes.
Universal Modeling System (UMS): Translates a GAM into a SAM based on a muhkam expression by replacing general GAM concepts with specific concepts from Table 3 and Table 4a & b or new specific concepts.
Interoperable Models: Models that can be easily integrated with each other in a single intelligent system.
Sound Symbolism: The view that each sound of every human language represents a concept.
Specific Algorithmic Model (SAM): UMS translates a GAM into a SAM. A SAM represents a clear view of the modeled thing as a flow of specific interactions among specific processes.
Interaction Type: The general way in which a process interacts with other processes (closed-self, open-self, closed-others, open-others). It is also called orientation type or polarity. Each interaction type represents an infinite number of specific concepts (see examples in Table 3 ).
Adaptive Modeling: UMS models evolve through implementation experience, and by revisiting UMS, which thus acts as a tool for learning, research and discovery.
Muhkam Expression: An expression from an old book called Al-Qur’an which is generally accepted as the ultimate reference for the proper use of Arabic. Each such expression explains every word root (GAM) it contains by pointing to specific interactions among specific processes (=SAM).
Process Type: The general type of a process. There are three elementary process types (assignment, manifestation, and containment) and four compound process types (their combinations). Each process type represents an infinite number of specific concepts (see examples in Table 4a & b ).