Some IT Terms Really Are Greek

Computerworld - "Those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me."
- Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2.
While it's always a good idea to brush up on your Shakespeare, who would have thought that the ancient Greek language would find its way to the very frontiers of IT? Metadata felt grandiloquent enough, but what are we to make of the emergence of terms such as semantic, taxonomy and, most strangely of all, ontology?
History says that whenever the industry lexicon starts to expand, it's usually in response to new technology challenges and usage. Consider the origins and meanings of each of these four words, taken from Merriam-Webster's online and off-line dictionaries.
Metadata. The Greek (and Latin) root meta has many meanings, but in academic discussions, the primary use is to indicate a "more comprehensive, transcending" version of a subject. For example, metaphysics and metamathematics are disciplines designed "to deal critically with the original one." Within the IT industry, metadata is basically data about data, a related but slightly altered form of usage. Standard intra- and intercompany metadata has clearly become an increasingly important IT industry concern.
Semantic. "Of or pertaining to meaning, [especially] in language," from semainein, which is "to signify or mean." During the past few years, there has been much talk about the emergence of a "semantic Web," a concept championed by none other than Tim Berners-Lee. Semantic Web applications are intelligent systems where computers can effectively understand the meaning of the information transmitted, unlike HTML-based systems that are mostly concerned with how information is displayed. Semantic understanding will often be required if Web services are to reach their full potential.
Taxonomy. Derived from taxis, meaning "arrangement or order," taxonomies are classification systems. Historically, the term has mostly been used in the life sciences to describe the rigorous classification of species. As with metadata, today's IT usage is slightly different. Whereas each biological species has a unique classification, information taxonomies are often used to organize documents, many of which need to be accessible via multiple paths. Taxonomy software is becoming an increasingly important aspect of enterprise content management, with Applied Semantics, Semio, Autonomy and Verity among the key vendors.
Ontology. This comes from ont-, the present participle of einai, "to be - more as is." To philosophers, ontology is a rarefied "branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being." The term was co-opted by the artificial intelligence community to encompass the systems of knowledge and