This document discusses the canons of verbal plane in classification schemes. It outlines four main canons: 1) Canon of Context - terms must be written and read in the context of the upper classes they are placed under. 2) Canon of Enumeration - the scope of terms should be determined by their subordinate classes and categories. 3) Canon of Currency - terminology used should be current among subject specialists in that field. Schemes should update terms over time. 4) Canon of Recticence - terms should not express any opinion or criticism of the classificationist.

1. Canons of Verbal Plane
(Canon of Terminology
Dr. Yesan Sellan
Assistant Professor, DLIS
Bishop Heber College

2. Introduction
• In this phase of classification work we give standardised names to
the concepts arranged in arrays and chains in the Idea plane.
• Verbal plane helps to decide the type of terminology to be used in
the scheme of classification. Natural language is imperfect, there is a
vagueness in the meaning of ordinary words used in everyday
conversation.
• There are also the incidence of homonyms and synonyms. New
terms appear from time to time and these may be used to express
new ideas, the meaning of a new term often keeps changing from
time to time unless it is accepted in the concerned subject.
• Classifier are concerned with the application of schemes, they may
find this useful in interpreting the terms in the schedule at the time of
classifying documents.
• These canons must be followed by those engaged in the designing
and construction of the schedules of a scheme. Ranganathan has
formulated the following canons of work at the verbal plane, they are

3. Canons of Verbal Plane
• Canon of Context
• Canon of Enumeration
• Canon of Currency
• Canon of Recticence

4. Canon of Context
• “The denotation of a term in a scheme for classification should be
determined in the light of the different classes or ranked isolated of lower
order belonging to the primary chain as the class or the ranked isolate
denoted by term in the question
• Canon of Context lays down that the terms in the classification schedules be written and
read in the context of the upper class for example, instead of writing
• Simple Salts
• Double Salts
• Complex Salts
Write:
• Salts Psychology (under persons facet)
• Single Child
• Double Male
• Complex Female

5. Canon of Enumeration
• “the denotation of a term in a scheme for classification should be
determined and should be left to be determined in the light of or
through the sub-classes or ranked isolates enumerated in the various
chains having the class or ranked isolate, as the case may be, denoted
by the term in question as their common link
• the arrangement of each term in classification systems should
be determined by enumeration from classes into categories and
series.

6. Canon of Enumeration
• Scope of terms or disciplines is not universally settled.
• For example, subject “Dynamics” is considered a part of mathematics
by some, and of physics by others.
• As another example “Documentation” is part of library science in
Colon Classification whole in the Universal Decimal classification
(UDC) it is an independent class.
• Further constitutional history is not part of political science or law but
of history in the CC.

7. Canon of Currency
• This canon lays down: “Terms used to denote a class in a scheme for
classification should be one current among those specializing in the subject
field covered by the scheme”.
• Terminology in any discipline is not static or frozen. It is always dynamic
and moving. Even the old concepts get new meanings and an old concept
may get a new term.
• Old terms may denote new concepts. A classification system must always
update its terminology using current terms. New editions of classification
systems not only include new knowledge but also use current terminology.
• For example, in the DDC library science has become “Library and
information science”; Home science has become “Home management”.
• It will not only help in efficient information retrieval but will also make our
classification systems respectable in the eyes of scholars and subject
specialists.

8. Canon of
Recticence
• “the terms used to denote a class
or a ranked isolate in a scheme
for classification should not be
critical – that is, express any
opinion of the classificationist.
• Term used in the scheme of
classification should not reflect
the opinion of classifcationist.
• Eg. Minor Authors