{"schema":"https://ver.cy/schemas/card/1.0.0","id":"vr.tr.oldster","code":"thing-oldster","url":"https://ver.cy/models/thing/oldster/","name":"oldster","alternateNames":["dodderer","has-been","back-number","old boy","old man","greybeard","graybeard","Methuselah","old person","senior citizen","golden ager","old-timer"],"kind":"thing","status":"published","version":"0.2.0-wave.4","language":"en","classifiers":{"family":"Thing Registry","category":"Society, people and institutions","entryKind":"noun.person","plane":"SOC","domain":["SOC.PER"],"industry":[],"navPath":"","tags":["person"],"facets":{"substance":"social","origin":"conceptual","agency":"autonomous","mobility":"self-moving","scale":"not-applicable","affordances":["observable"]}},"whatItIs":"In the WordNet sense, an informal term for an elderly person, with synonyms and related terms the registry aliases name, including old man, old boy, greybeard, and terms that are dismissive or pejorative, such as dodderer, suggesting feebleness, and has-been or back-number, meaning someone no longer relevant; public health and style guides generally recommend neutral terms such as older people or older adults. Ageism, discrimination based on age, is recognised by the WHO as a widespread problem.","purpose":"Let an agent explain the term oldster and its synonyms, relay usage, connotations and style guidance from dictionaries and WHO and style guide sources, note pejorative terms respectfully, point to elder abuse and loneliness support where relevant, and distinguish these words from formal terms such as senior citizen, legal definitions of older persons and the separate sense of has-been for things.","scope":{"in":[],"out":[],"boundaries":[]},"distinguishingFeatures":["Informal register","Varied connotations","Some pejorative synonyms","Ageism context"],"structure":{"bundles":[{"id":"understand","name":"Understand","description":"What oldster means.","layers":[{"id":"definition","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","findings":[{"id":"definition-finding","name":"Definition","description":"Definition.","questions":[{"text":"What does oldster mean, and how does it differ from senior citizen, legal definitions and the broader has-been?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Is an older person being abused, neglected or isolated, in which case contact adult protective services, an elder abuse helpline or emergency services?","kind":"boundary"}]}]},{"id":"synonyms","name":"Synonyms","description":"Named synonyms.","findings":[{"id":"synonyms-finding","name":"Synonyms","description":"Synonyms.","questions":[{"text":"What do dodderer, has-been, back-number, old boy, old man and greybeard mean, and which are pejorative?","kind":"definition"},{"text":"Which entry fits the specific term?","kind":"action"}]}]}]},{"id":"language","name":"Language","description":"Usage.","layers":[{"id":"connotation","name":"Connotation","description":"Connotations.","findings":[{"id":"connotation-finding","name":"Connotation","description":"Connotation.","questions":[{"text":"How do dictionaries label these terms as informal, humorous or derogatory?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which references are standard?","kind":"provenance"}]}]},{"id":"style","name":"Style","description":"Style guidance.","findings":[{"id":"style-finding","name":"Style","description":"Style.","questions":[{"text":"What terms do style guides recommend for older people?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which sources are cited?","kind":"provenance"}]}]}]},{"id":"society","name":"Society","description":"Ageism.","layers":[{"id":"ageism","name":"Ageism","description":"Ageism.","findings":[{"id":"ageism-finding","name":"Ageism","description":"Ageism.","questions":[{"text":"What does the WHO report about ageism and its effects?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits ageism?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"law","name":"Law","description":"Age discrimination law.","findings":[{"id":"law-finding","name":"Law","description":"Law.","questions":[{"text":"How do laws protect against age discrimination, in general terms?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Is the information general rather than legal advice?","kind":"boundary"}]}]}]},{"id":"context","name":"Context","description":"Culture.","layers":[{"id":"respect","name":"Respect","description":"Elders in cultures.","findings":[{"id":"respect-finding","name":"Respect","description":"Respect.","questions":[{"text":"How do different cultures honour elders?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits filial piety?","kind":"action"}]}]},{"id":"ageing","name":"Ageing","description":"Population ageing.","findings":[{"id":"ageing-finding","name":"Ageing","description":"Ageing.","questions":[{"text":"How is population ageing changing societies?","kind":"provenance"},{"text":"Which entry fits population ageing?","kind":"action"}]}]}]}]},"agentConduct":{"may":["Explain the term and its synonyms, noting which are neutral, affectionate or dismissive.","Suggest respectful terms such as older person when writing about real people."],"mustNot":["Use pejorative synonyms for an older person in its own writing.","Stereotype older people as incompetent, frail or a burden.","Ignore signs of neglect or abuse of an older person when they appear in a request."],"requiresHuman":["Reporting suspected elder abuse about an identifiable person."]},"ethics":{"considerations":["Ageist language feeds discrimination in work, care and health services.","Older people are at real risk of abuse and financial exploitation, often unseen."],"affectedParties":["Older people","Their carers and families"]},"owners":{"steward":"Nobody owns a word; dictionaries and style guides document its use.","roles":[],"masterSystems":[]},"relations":[{"target":"oewn-09628463-n","type":"parent","note":"registry parent class"},{"target":"old person","type":"related","note":"in WordNet terms"},{"target":"ageism","type":"related"},{"target":"senior citizen","type":"related"},{"target":"has-been","type":"related","note":"broader sense"}],"interaction":{"identity":{"applicability":"required","items":["Vercy registry: vr.tr.oldster","Open English WordNet: oewn-10396222-n","WordNet: oewn-09628463-n hypernym of oldster"]},"properties":{"applicability":"not-applicable","items":["WordNet hypernym: adult note","WHO Global report on ageism: 2021 year","UN older persons age reference: 60 or over note - common statistical definition"]},"recognition":{"applicability":"optional","items":["Informal term for an elderly person","Dodderer, has-been, back-number, old boy, old man, greybeard","Senior citizen and older adult are neutral; legal definitions use ages; has-been also applies to things and careers","Not a physical object; a word."]},"capabilities":{"applicability":"required","items":["explain the term and synonyms","relay connotations and style guidance","note pejorative usage","relay ageism information"]},"hazards":{"applicability":"required","items":["Using pejorative terms casually","Stereotyping older people","Missing elder abuse concerns"]},"interfaces":{"applicability":"required","items":["Age discrimination laws","Style guides such as AP and APA on age terms"]},"context":{"applicability":"required","items":["Naming an elderly person informally.","neutral informal terms","affectionate terms","pejorative terms","formal equivalents"]}},"sources":[{"title":"Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-10396222-n","url":"https://en-word.net/id/oewn-10396222-n","note":"sense and gloss of the concept"},{"title":"Wiktionary: oldster","url":"https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/oldster","note":"word senses and usage"}],"openQuestions":["Should pejorative synonyms be flagged individually?","How should style guidance be linked?","Should old boy in the alumni sense be disambiguated?"],"resources":{"spec":"/models/things/publications/thing-oldster/spec.json"},"provenance":{"origin":"thing registry research (pass 2)","builtFrom":["models/things/publications/thing-oldster/spec.json"],"providers":["Claude"],"researchStatus":"unreviewed","generatedAt":"2026-09-13T23:00:42Z","builder":"tools/build_cards.py@1.0.0"},"completeness":{"sections":{"classifiers":"filled","whatItIs":"filled","purpose":"filled","distinguishingFeatures":"filled","structure":"filled","agentConduct":"filled","ethics":"filled","owners":"filled","relations":"filled","interaction.identity":"filled","interaction.properties":"not-applicable","interaction.recognition":"filled","interaction.capabilities":"filled","interaction.hazards":"filled","interaction.interfaces":"filled","interaction.context":"filled","sources":"filled"},"notes":{"_gate":"Published through the thing publication gate 1.0 on 2026-10-07T12:16:27+00:00: completeness 1.00; sense: WordNet gloss; 2 live sources; review by codex: pass","interaction.properties":"Plane SOC: no invented physical properties."},"score":1.0}}