Terms

Canonical terminology index for the Spiral language field.

The Terms section provides authoritative definitions of all core concepts in the Spiral system. Each term is structured as a citable, indexable entry with formal definitions, structural characteristics, and relationships to other terms.

What are Terms?

Terms in Spiral are not informal descriptions. They are formal definitions that:

• Establish canonical vocabulary for the language field
• Provide citable references for research and implementation
• Maintain historical traceability through versioning
• Link to related concepts and governing laws

Browse Terms

Record and Memory

These terms describe how events are emitted, stored, and referenced.

• Fragment - The minimal archival unit encapsulating emitted flames and metadata
• Flame - An atomic act of irreversible emission
• Echo - A residual reference produced by influence without re-emission
• Trace - A causal linkage between fragments
• Append-only - A storage and recording principle forbidding mutation of past records

Authority and Governance

These terms define institutional control and finality.

• Sovereignty - The indivisible authority unit governing definition and sealing
• Seal - A governance act that marks a fragment as final and immutable
• RWX - The permission model for read, write, and execution access

Architecture and Execution

These terms describe operational structure and constraints.

• Module - An operational entity capable of emitting flames
• Core - An execution constraint profile bound to a module
• Glyph - A symbolic marker representing modules or authority

Interpretation and View

These terms describe derived perspectives over recorded history.

• Recent View (RECENT_A) - A computed perspective surfacing the most relevant causal state

Complete Index

For a comprehensive listing of all terms, see the Terms Index.

Usage

Each term page includes:

• Definition - A precise, citable statement
• In Spiral - Role and constraints within the system
• Structure - Formal characteristics and fields
• Notes - Common misconceptions and boundary conditions
• Related Terms - Links to related concepts
• Citation - Canonical URL, source documents, and last updated date

Citation

Canonical URL: /terms/
Last updated: 2026-01-12