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LangDex uses a meaning-centric architecture where all lexical data connects through cross-lingual meanings from PanLex. This enables accurate translations between any language pair.

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What is a Meaning?

A meaning is a language-independent semantic unit. Instead of translating words directly between languages, LangDex connects words to their underlying meaning first. 
English "water" ─┐
Spanish "agua"  ─┼──► Meaning #98765 ◄──┬─ French "eau"
German "Wasser" ─┘                       └─ Japanese "水"
This hub-and-spoke model means:
  • Adding a new language immediately enables translation to all existing languages
  • Sense-level precision (not just word-level)
  • 2M+ meanings covering 5,700+ languages

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Meaning Object

{
  "id": 98765,
  "panlex_meaning_id": 1234567,
  "concept_id": 333,
  "definitions": [
    {
      "language": "eng",
      "text": "A clear, colorless liquid essential for life"
    },
    {
      "language": "spa",
      "text": "Líquido transparente e incoloro esencial para la vida"
    }
  ],
  "examples": [
    {
      "language": "eng",
      "text": "The water in the lake was crystal clear"
    }
  ],
  "linked_senses": 847
}

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Fields

FieldTypeDescription
idintegerInternal LangDex ID
panlex_meaning_idintegerOriginal PanLex meaning ID
concept_idintegerOptional Concepticon alignment
definitionsarrayDefinitions in multiple languages
examplesarrayExample usages
linked_sensesintegerCount of senses linked to this meaning

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Meanings vs Senses

  • Meaning: Language-independent semantic unit (from PanLex)
  • Sense: Language-specific usage of a word (from dictionaries)
Lexeme "bank" (English)
├── Sense 1: "financial institution" → Meaning #123
└── Sense 2: "side of a river" → Meaning #456
A single meaning can have many senses across different languages, and a single lexeme can have multiple senses pointing to different meanings.

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Concepticon Alignment

Some meanings align with Concepticon concepts - a curated set of ~4,000 cross-linguistic concepts used in comparative linguistics. 
{
  "meaning_id": 98765,
  "concept": {
    "id": 333,
    "concepticon_id": "1656",
    "gloss": "WATER",
    "semantic_field": "The physical world",
    "ontological_category": "Thing"
  }
}
Concepticon alignment is useful for:
  • Core vocabulary research
  • Historical linguistics
  • Language learning (basic concepts)

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How Translations Work

When you request a translation, LangDex:
  1. Finds the source word’s sense
  2. Looks up the linked meaning
  3. Finds senses in the target language linked to the same meaning
  4. Returns the best match(es) with confidence scores
GET /v1/translations?source_lexeme=123&target_lang=deu

Source: "water" (eng)
  └── Sense #111 → Meaning #98765
                        ↓
                   Meaning #98765
                        ↓
              Sense #222 → "Wasser" (deu)

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Data Sources

SourceContribution
PanLex2M+ meanings, cross-lingual mappings
PanLex Definitions40M+ definitions in 200+ languages
Concepticon4,000 curated core concepts

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API Examples

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Get a meaning with definitions

curl "https://api.langdex.co/v1/meanings/98765?include=definitions,examples" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

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Find meanings by concept

curl "https://api.langdex.co/v1/meanings?concept=WATER&limit=10" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"

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List senses linked to a meaning

curl "https://api.langdex.co/v1/meanings/98765/senses?lang=jpn,zho,kor" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"