TLA Thesauri API

The TLA thesauri are a collection of controlled vocabularies used to categorize objects, texts, and text passages in the Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae (and beyond).

Endpoints

Basic URL

api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus/

Browse

• GET /thesaurus/all – List of all thesauri (JSON object) (cf. Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae)
• GET /thesaurus/{id} – All entries of a thesaurus (JSON object) (e.g., language, date)

Entry by TLA ID

• GET /thesaurus/{id} – Full entry (JSON object)
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/type – Type (TXT)
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/superordinate – Superordinate concept (TXT)
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/subordinate – Subordinate concepts (TXT)
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/preflabel/{lang} – Preferred label (TXT) (en, de, fr, ar) 
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/labels/{lang} – All labels (JSON array) (en, de, fr, ar)
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/def – Definition (TXT)
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/notBefore – Start year (TXT) (date thesaurus only); see comment below
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/notAfter – End year (TXT) (date thesaurus only)
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/match – All external references (JSON object)
• GET /thesaurus/{id}/match/{system} – External reference for a system (TXT) (wikidata, thot)

Entry by Wikidata ID

• GET /thesaurus/wikidata/{id} – Full entry
• GET /thesaurus/wikidata/{id}/type – Type
• GET /thesaurus/wikidata/{id}/preflabel/{lang} – Preferred label
• GET /thesaurus/wikidata/{id}/labels/{lang} – All labels
• GET /thesaurus/wikidata/{id}/def – Definition
• GET /thesaurus/wikidata/{id}/notBefore – Start year 
• GET /thesaurus/wikidata/{id}/notAfter – End year 
• GET /thesaurus/wikidata/{id}/match – All external references
• GET /thesaurus/wikidata/{id}/match/{system} – External reference for a system (thot, tla, tm)

Entry by Thot ID

• GET /thesaurus/thot/{id} – Full entry
• GET /thesaurus/thot/{id}/type – Type
• GET /thesaurus/thot/{id}/preflabel/{lang} – Preferred label
• GET /thesaurus/thot/{id}/labels/{lang} – All labels
• GET /thesaurus/thot/{id}/def – Definition
• GET /thesaurus/thot/{id}/notBefore – Start year 
• GET /thesaurus/thot/{id}/notAfter – End year 
• GET /thesaurus/thot/{id}/match – All external references
• GET /thesaurus/thot/{id}/match/{system} – External reference for a system (wikidata, tla, tm)

Entry by Trismegistos ID

• GET /thesaurus/tm/{id} – Full entry
• GET /thesaurus/tm/{id}/type – Type
• GET /thesaurus/tm/{id}/preflabel/{lang} – Preferred label
• GET /thesaurus/tm/{id}/labels/{lang} – All labels
• GET /thesaurus/tm/{id}/def – Definition
• GET /thesaurus/tm/{id}/notBefore – Start year 
• GET /thesaurus/tm/{id}/notAfter – End year 
• GET /thesaurus/tm/{id}/match – All external references
• GET /thesaurus/tm/{id}/match/{system} – External reference for a system (wikidata, thot, tla)

To use the API in MS Excel / Libre Office Calc try the folloing sniplets 

Examples 

Getting the label of an TLA thesaurus entry in French

EN =IFERROR(WEBSERVICE("https://api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus/J3SNMB4AF5ERPDGE4VPMBZSYRE/preflabel/fr");"Error: server unreachable.")
DE =WENNFEHLER(WEBDIENST("https://api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus/J3SNMB4AF5ERPDGE4VPMBZSYRE/preflabel/fr");"Error: server unreachable.)

Result: “néo-égyptien” (txt).

Getting the beginning of a time period 

EN =IFERROR(WEBSERVICE("https://api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus/EBGTMF7GURDVZDFRV6XQU7OEOE/notBefore");"Error: server unreachable.")
DE =WENNFEHLER(WEBDIENST("https://api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus/EBGTMF7GURDVZDFRV6XQU7OEOE/notBefore");"Error: server unreachable.")

Result: “-1920” (txt).
Please note that the dates are not intended to provide up-to-date knowledge about the dating of reigns and periods.
In the TLA, they are used for sorting and arranging reigns and periods relative to each other.

Getting the German label for a place via Trismegistos no.

EN =IFERROR(WEBSERVICE("https://api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus/tm/2355/preflabel/de");"Error: server unreachable.")
DE =WENNFEHLER(WEBDIENST("https://api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus/tm/2355/preflabel/de");"Error: server unreachable.")

Result: “Theben” (txt).

Getting the Wikidata ID for a TLA thesaurus entry (if registered in TLA)

EN =IFERROR(WEBSERVICE("https://api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus/J3SNMB4AF5ERPDGE4VPMBZSYRE/match/wikidata");"Error: server unreachable.")
DE =WENNFEHLER(WEBDIENST("https://api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus/J3SNMB4AF5ERPDGE4VPMBZSYRE/match/wikidata");"Error: server unreachable.")

Result: “Q1852329” (txt).

Refer to the API as:

AV Wortschatz der ägyptischen Sprache, Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae Thesauri API, api.thesaurus-linguae-aegyptiae.de/thesaurus, implemented by R. Dominik Blöse, ed. by Tonio Sebastian Richter & Daniel A. Werning on behalf of the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2026-…