I consider the DRAFT proposal of sourdough baking terms and definitions are best described in the following way;

DRAFT and rationale for the Poll

by Danubian · More by this author { 2008 April 3 } I have posted a poll to gauge the level of support or disdain for the DRAFT terms and definitions from the original thread "Glossary of Baking terms".

This draft is the only proposal that the contributors of this original thread have posted. There have been some objections to various parts of this draft but there has been no other alternative emerged amidst those objections. This may mean the draft proposal has widespread acceptance, or it may mean it's being shunned. But we won't know unless the question is asked. On that basis I put forward a poll to determine where the members stand on this DRAFT. This poll will be open to members for 2 weeks. At the end of this period no more votes can be registered.

Please take the time to read the "glossary of baking terms"  thread content so the objections can also be considered. Thank you for participating.

DRAFT

Function	My adopted terms	Definition
Inoculating culture	Starter	A small portion of mature sourdough used to inoculate or "start" a larger  batch of flour and water referred to as "sourdough or leaven". At maturity the original weight of "starter" is removed to inoculate or start the next sourdough or leaven, hence it is not included in the yield calculations.
Inoculating dough	Sourdough leaven	A portion of the total bread dough flour weight inoculated by a starter to form a mature dough of endemic flora - including but not limited to: lactobacillus, and endemic yeasts - used to aerate and produce bread dough maturity. Sourdough leaven can be a single stage fermentation or multiple stage fermentation to maturity.
Bread dough	Sourdough Leaven Bread dough	A dough containing all the final ingredients, including but not limited to: sourdough leaven, that is used as the final dough in the bread making process. This dough is baked to form bread.
The process: fermentation	Sourdough leaven fermentation	the process of fermenting sourdough leaven is initiated by a polyculture in a natural symbiosis of endemic origin. Typically a mix of lactobacillus and sourdough leaven yeasts. Bakers yeast strains are not deemed typical nor included.
The product	Sourdough Leaven Bread	Bread of sourdough leaven; does not include any other fermentation other than the endemic polyculture of sourdough leaven from the first to the final stage until entry into the oven.

 

Glossary

by Bushturkey · More by this author { 2008 April 11 } The terms are well-defined and very concise. My first thought on reading them, though, was "why do we need to standardise the definitions?"
One person's sourdough is another's wild yeast. Both terms are accurate and both are not. Sourdough is not always sour and not always dough (yeast water for example).
I'd follow the KIS principle (Keep It Simple).
Levain or leaven is synonymous with inoculating culture. Bakers would know what it is without a restrictive definition. Even someone new to baking would eventually get to know what the different terms mean.