metatemplate

metatemplate

English

Alternative forms

• meta-template

Etymology

First attested hyphenated in 1977 and first attested unhyphenated in 1994; formed as meta- +‎ template.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) enPR: mĕʹtətĕmplāt, IPA^(key): /ˈmɛtətɛmpleɪt/

Noun

metatemplate (plural metatemplates)

1. A template for other templates; a template which forms the basis for other templates.
   • 1977, 5th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence – 1977 IJCAI-77 (International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence; →ISBN, 9780865760578), page 210

     To index the knowledge base PAR employs meta-templates and super-sets in a corresponding manner.

   • 1994, Dan Sperber, “The modularity of thought and the epidemiology of representations” in Mapping the Mind: Domain Specificity in Cognition and Culture (Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, eds. Lawrence A. Hirschfeld and Susan A. Gelman, page 48

     The template–copy relationship might sometimes involve more levels. A general living-kind-categorization metatemplate could project, not directly concepts, but other, more specific templates for different domains of living kinds.