1-6.5 Elements of a semantic base for localities.
The semantic interpretation of a place is
determined to be one or more geopolitical place names as follows: one specifies the highest
governmental or geographic region, and the others specify certain kinds of places so that each
one would be included in the designated higher region, while all but the last would include the
ones lower. The geographical location (coordinates) of the place so specified may be known to
various degrees of precision. Sometimes the place is known to be accurate only to the country
designation and sometimes to the town or parish. Even with precision this representation could
be extended. Approximate knowledge is more than the modification of the precision of the place.
Often we have a choice between two or more likely places. Usually one place is more likely than
another, in other words, the probability distribution is skewed rather than symmetric. Thus we
need to specify multiple, not single places. Sometimes also there are two places,
one being a terminus ad quem
and another the terminus de quo,
i.e., we are fairly confident only that the event took place between two places —
the beginning and ending of a journey, as between Liverpool and Boston, or St. Louis and Great
Salt Lake.
