System for accessing a relational database using semantic queries

A system comprised of one or more computers for executing a digitally encoded database query received by the system, said query being expressed in a semantic query language, on the contents of a pre-existing relational database with a corresponding relational database schema, said system comprising:

• a translating module comprised of logic configured to automatically translate the received database query into a second digitally encoded database query expressed in a relational query language by using a mapping data structure representing a mapping from the relational database schema to a synthetic domain model that is a putative ontology automatically created from the relational database schema, in order to create a translated relational query;
• and
• an execution module comprised of logic configured to execute the translated relational query on the relational database.