WSF Canonical Semantic Foundation

The authoritative home for WSF's foundational semantic assets.

This repository (wsf/) contains the canonical semantic definitions, relationships, identity, assertions, context, temporal, spatial, and provenance foundations that constitute the World Semantic Foundation.

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Repository Structure

wsf/
├── README.md (this file)
├── concepts/         ← Tier 1 (12) + Tier 2 (9) + Tier 3 (16+) concept definitions
├── relationships/    ← 4 Forms of Relation + specialized relationships
├── identity/         ← Identity/Reference/Representation distinctions
├── assertions/       ← Semantic Assertion Model
├── context/          ← Context as semantic qualification
├── temporal/         ← Time semantics (Instant/Interval/Duration)
├── spatial/          ← Space semantics (Location/Position/Region)
└── provenance/       ← Evidence/Provenance/Authority/Trust

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What Lives Here

concepts/ ; Foundational Concept Definitions

The 12 Tier 1 foundational concepts and 9 Tier 2 supporting constructs. Each concept has:

• Unique Semantic Identity (URI)
• Preferred Name
• Definition
• Classification (per ADR-WSF-09)
• Relationships to other concepts
• Constraints
• Scope and Context considerations
• Canonical examples (OTCHERE/Kwesi)

relationships/ ; Foundational Relationships

The 4 Forms of Relation (Structural / Temporal / Causal / Dispositional) plus the 10 relationship families (Identity, Possession, Participation, Realization, Enablement, Provision, Constraint, Measurement, Causality, Context).

identity/ ; Identity/Reference/Representation

Distinguishes Identity, Identifier, Name, Reference, Representation. Implements the 5 distinctions from Investigation 6.

assertions/ ; Semantic Assertion Model

The Subject + Relationship + Object + Context + Time + Space + Condition + Evidence + Provenance + Trust pattern. See ADR-WSF-12.

context/ ; Context as Semantic Qualification

Context qualifies meaning, applicability, interpretation ; not a generic metadata container.

temporal/ ; Time Semantics

Instant, Interval, Duration. Precedence ≠ Causality. Temporal Validity ≠ Lifecycle.

spatial/ ; Space Semantics

Location, Position, Spatial Region. Position ≠ Location.

provenance/ ; Evidence, Provenance, Authority, Trust

The 4 epistemic qualifiers for assertions.

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Conventions

Naming

• Files: kebab-case.md for documents, snake_case.yaml for machine-readable
• Concepts: PascalCase for the canonical name, lowercase for files
• Examples: Always OTCHERE Inc (or OTCHERE) and Kwesi : never ACME

Frontmatter

Every concept file includes:

---
semantic_id: <URI>
preferred_name: <Canonical Name>
status: Candidate | Investigating | Proposed | Normative | Deprecated | Retired
version: <semver>
defined_by: <ADR-WSF-XX>
classification: <Foundational | Supporting | Derived>
domain: <14 Foundational Domains>
last_reviewed: <YYYY-MM-DD>
---

Canonical Examples

All examples use:

• Enterprise: OTCHERE Inc
• Individual: Kwesi
• System: OTCHERE DC-01 (data center example)

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Current Status

This repository is being established per CR-WSF-17 Rev.1. Initial concept definitions are being authored under subsequent ADRs (ADR-WSF-18 through ADR-WSF-22).

Initial 12 Tier 1 Foundational Concepts (all status: Normative):

1. Entity
2. Concept
3. Relationship
4. Event
5. State
6. Disposition
7. Proposition
8. Assertion
9. Identity
10. Context
11. Time
12. Space

Initial 9 Tier 2 Supporting Constructs (all status: Baseline):

1. Identifier
2. Reference
3. Namespace
4. Term
5. Definition
6. Validity
7. Evidence
8. Provenance
9. Authority

Initial 16 Tier 3 Specialisation Concepts (all status: Baseline):

1. Role
2. Process
3. Function
4. Activity
5. Outcome
6. Resource
7. System
8. Organisation
9. Service
10. Goal
11. Policy
12. Rule
13. Constraint
14. Objective
15. Measure
16. Actor

Tier 3 Worked Example:

• Capability : Tier 3 derived example grounded in Disposition

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How to Contribute

1. Read the 12 Foundational Principles
2. Read the Investigation Record
3. Read relevant ADRs in wsf-governance/ADR/
4. Propose new concepts/relationships via the ADR Template
5. Use canonical examples (OTCHERE/Kwesi)

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Related Repositories

• wsf-spec/ : Normative specifications
• wsf-governance/ : ADRs, CRs, governance
• wsf-examples/ : Reference applications
• wsf-software/ : Semantic Engine implementation
• wsf-docs/ : Conceptual documentation
• wsf-connectors/ : Integration adapters
• wsf-visuals/ : Visual semantic assets

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This is the canonical semantic foundation of WSF. Changes occur only through the ADR/CR process.