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