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typesrdfrdfstriplestore

RDFS: can this statement be inferred?

If there exists an RDFS triple:

shop:Zara        rdfs:subClassOf        shop:Clothes

Can the statement:

shop:Zara        rdf:type               shop:Clothes

be inferred?

Solution

  • I want to extend a bit on Joshua's answer:

    The following statement

    shop:Zara        rdfs:subClassOf        shop:Clothes

    implies that both shop:Clothes and shop:Zara are of type rdfs:Class.

    In colloquial language, you could probably say:

    A Zara store is a clothing store.

    but what you would actually mean with that is

    Any store that is a Zara store is a clothing store.

    So in RDF it is true that from the statements

    shop:Zara        rdfs:subClassOf        shop:Clothes
example:shopXYZ  rdfs:type              shop:Zara

    the following can be inferred:

    example:shopXYZ  rdf:type               shop:Clothes