ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that more attention needs to be paid to empirical considerations of the elements of taxonomies, compared to the logical and mathematical hierarchies erected on them. Mathematically the reference standard is the physical or empirical interpretation of the expected value or the mean of an adequately large set of measurements carried out. The chapter explores elements of taxonomies with minimum attention to structure. The very great information load implied by vocabulary additions may hint at a quantification of the principle of parsimony in theories-and taxonomies. Change and adoption, then, are of the essence of work on taxonomies, and can be viewed as extrovert communication processes rather than introvert theoretical-linguistic discoveries or learning. In the conference, most taxonomies fell well between the extremes of the spectrum discussed. Starting from those most solidly founded empirically, ergonomics and psychophysical applications are nearly cardinal.
