Glossary
Definitions of key terms used throughout the Naas Ontology.
A​
ABI (Agentic Brain Infrastructure) : The AI-specific extension layer of the Naas Ontology that provides concepts for AI agents, workflows, and cognitive processes.
Agent : An independent continuant that is capable of performing actions. In AI contexts, includes both human users and artificial intelligence systems.
AI Agent : An artificial intelligence system capable of autonomous decision-making and task execution.
B​
BFO (Basic Formal Ontology) : A top-level ontology that provides foundational categories for systematically organizing all entities that exist or can exist.
Bearer : An entity that has or carries qualities, roles, or other dependent entities.
C​
CCO (Common Core Ontologies) : Mid-level ontologies that extend BFO with practical concepts common across many domains.
Cognitive Capability : A realizable entity that represents a cognitive ability of an AI system, such as reasoning, analysis, or processing.
Continuant : An entity that persists through time while maintaining its identity.
D​
Dependent Continuant : A continuant that depends on other entities for its existence.
Disposition : A realizable entity that represents a tendency or capacity to behave in certain ways under specific conditions.
E​
Entity : The most general category in BFO - anything that exists, has existed, or will exist.
F​
Foundry : An organizational context for curating and managing ontological concepts.
Function : A realizable entity that represents the intended purpose or role of an entity.
G​
Generically Dependent Continuant : A continuant that depends on other entities but not on any specific individual entity. Represents information and knowledge structures.
I​
Independent Continuant : A continuant that does not depend on other entities for its existence. Includes material entities.
Information Entity : A generically dependent continuant that carries semantic content about other entities.
M​
Material Entity : An independent continuant that exists in space and has material parts.
O​
Object : A material entity with clear boundaries that maintains its identity through time.
Occurrent : An entity that happens, unfolds, or develops through time.
P​
Process : An occurrent that has temporal parts and unfolds through time.
Process-Centric Routing : An AI routing approach that selects agents based on cognitive processes needed rather than specific AI models.
Q​
Quality : A specifically dependent continuant that characterizes its bearer.
R​
Realizable Entity : A specifically dependent continuant that represents potentials, capabilities, roles, or functions that can be actualized.
Role : A realizable entity that exists because its bearer is in special circumstances.
S​
Specifically Dependent Continuant : A continuant that depends on specific individual entities for its existence.
Spatial Region : An occurrent that represents locations and spatial relationships.
T​
Temporal Region : An occurrent that represents time intervals and temporal relationships.
Trigger : An event or condition that initiates AI system processes or workflows.
W​
Workflow : A planned sequence of AI processes designed to achieve specific objectives.
Notation Conventions​
IRI (Internationalized Resource Identifier)
: Unique identifiers for ontological concepts, e.g., bfo:BFO_0000001 for Entity.
Turtle Syntax : A compact syntax for RDF used in ontology examples throughout this documentation.
7 Buckets Framework : BFO's systematic categorization: WHAT/WHO (materials), HOW-IT-IS (qualities), WHY-POTENTIAL (realizable), HOW-IT-HAPPENS (process), WHEN (time), WHERE (space), HOW-WE-KNOW (information).