(NIST: Gaithersburg, MD) -- Technical language processing, or TLP, involves using computers for capturing, understanding and translating jargon for other users.

Industry and businesses have long been known to have their own specialized “languages”—words and phrases that mostly only make sense to someone in that business. This technical jargon, slang, or industry lingo has largely developed as a shorthand method to convey complex or very specific ideas and directives using a minimal amount of effort.

“Peter, please get me that TSP printout for my retirement ASAP.”

“Don’t overdo it with the salt, the tsp should be enough.”

“I need to finish my white paper for the ivory tower by COB.”

“Engine one is due for a lube inspection and a rewinding. Let’s push it until next week’s line wide PM.”

Sentences like these may mean a very specific thing to you, or may mean nothing at all. Maybe you think you understand parts of them, but those same parts may mean something else to another person. Even if the letters and words are familiar to you, their context and meaning can be lost without the specific insight into where they came from. Sometimes that context can be found in the sentence itself; other times it is more elusive.

 …