TimeML / ISO-TimeML

Model

TimeML (ISO-TimeML, ISO 24617-1)

Origin

TERQAS Workshop (Brandeis University); ISO TC 37/SC 4

Specification

ISO 24617-1:2012 (ISO-TimeML); TimeML 1.2.1

Key Reference

Pustejovsky et al. 2003

Overview

TimeML is the ISO standard markup language for temporal and event expressions in natural language text. It provides four main tag types (TIMEX3, EVENT, SIGNAL, LINK) for annotating temporal expressions, events with temporal attributes, temporal signals/connectives, and temporal/aspectual/subordination relations. TimeBank is the primary annotated corpus.

Layers fully subsumes TimeML through three mechanisms:

1. Structured temporal annotations — temporalExpression, temporalEntity, and temporalModifier in pub.layers.defs capture all TIMEX3 attributes
2. Annotation subkinds — temporal-expression, temporal-signal, situation-mention discriminate TimeML tag types
3. Graph edges — Allen's 13 interval relations plus aspectual relations as graphEdge.edgeType values capture all TLINK and ALINK relations

Type-by-Type Mapping

Temporal Expressions (TIMEX3)

TimeML Attribute	Layers Equivalent	Notes
TIMEX3 tag	annotation with subkind="temporal-expression" + temporal field	The temporal field holds a pub.layers.defs#temporalExpression
tid	annotation.uuid	Unique identifier
type (DATE, TIME, DURATION, SET)	temporalExpression.type	DATE to date, TIME to time, DURATION to duration, SET to set. Layers adds interval and relative
value	temporalEntity fields	ISO 8601 values decomposed: dates/times to instant, intervals to intervalStart/intervalEnd, durations to duration
mod (APPROX, START, MID, END, BEFORE, AFTER, ON_OR_BEFORE, ON_OR_AFTER, LESS_THAN, MORE_THAN)	temporalModifier.mod	Direct kebab-case mapping: APPROX to approximate, ON_OR_BEFORE to on-or-before, etc.
anchorTimeID	temporalExpression.anchorRef	objectRef pointing to another temporal annotation's UUID
temporalFunction	Presence of temporalExpression.anchorRef	If anchorRef is populated, the value is computed relative to the anchor
functionInDocument (CREATION_TIME, PUBLICATION_TIME, EXPIRATION_TIME, MODIFICATION_TIME, RELEASE_TIME, RECEPTION_TIME, NONE)	temporalExpression.function	Direct kebab-case mapping
beginPoint / endPoint	temporalEntity.intervalStart / intervalEnd	Interval bounds
quant / freq (for SET)	temporalEntity.recurrence + temporalEntity.features	Recurrence pattern as ISO 8601 repeating interval; quantifiers in features

Events (EVENT)

TimeML Attribute	Layers Equivalent	Notes
EVENT tag	annotation with subkind="situation-mention"	Events are situation mentions in Layers
eid	annotation.uuid	Unique identifier
class (OCCURRENCE, STATE, REPORTING, PERCEPTION, ASPECTUAL, I_ACTION, I_STATE)	annotation.label	The primary label for the situation mention
tense	annotation.features key tense	Values: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE, INFINITIVE, PRESPART, PASTPART, NONE
aspect	annotation.features key aspect	Values: PROGRESSIVE, PERFECTIVE, PERFECTIVE_PROGRESSIVE, NONE
polarity	annotation.features key polarity	Values: POS, NEG
modality	annotation.features key modality	Free text modal expression
pos	annotation.features key pos	Part of speech

Signals (SIGNAL)

TimeML Attribute	Layers Equivalent	Notes
SIGNAL tag	annotation with subkind="temporal-signal"	Temporal connectives and prepositions ("before", "during", "since")
sid	annotation.uuid	Unique identifier
Text content	annotation.text	The signal text

Temporal Links (TLINK)

TimeML Attribute	Layers Equivalent	Notes
TLINK	pub.layers.graph#graphEdge	A directed temporal relation between two annotations
lid	graphEdge record rkey	Unique identifier
relType	graphEdge.edgeType	See relation mapping below
timeID / eventInstanceID (source)	graphEdge.source	objectRef to source annotation
relatedToTime / relatedToEventInstance (target)	graphEdge.target	objectRef to target annotation
signalID	graphEdge.label or graphEdge.properties	Reference to the signal annotation

Relation mapping:

TimeML relType	Layers edgeType
BEFORE	before
AFTER	after
IBEFORE (immediately before)	meets
IAFTER (immediately after)	met-by
INCLUDES	contains
IS_INCLUDED	during
BEGINS	starts
BEGUN_BY	started-by
ENDS	finishes
ENDED_BY	finished-by
SIMULTANEOUS	simultaneous
IDENTITY	equals
DURING	during
DURING_INV	contains
OVERLAP	overlaps
OVERLAPPED_BY	overlapped-by

Aspectual Links (ALINK)

TimeML Attribute	Layers Equivalent	Notes
ALINK	pub.layers.graph#graphEdge	Aspectual relation between events
relType	graphEdge.edgeType	INITIATES to initiates, CULMINATES to culminates, TERMINATES to terminates, CONTINUES to continues, REINITIATES to reinitiates
eventInstanceID	graphEdge.source	Source event
relatedToEventInstance	graphEdge.target	Target event
signalID	graphEdge.label or graphEdge.properties	Signal reference

Subordination Links (SLINK)

TimeML Attribute	Layers Equivalent	Notes
SLINK	pub.layers.graph#graphEdge with edgeType="discourse"	Subordination is a discourse relation
relType (MODAL, EVIDENTIAL, NEG_EVIDENTIAL, FACTIVE, COUNTER_FACTIVE, CONDITIONAL)	graphEdge.label	The specific subordination type as the edge label
eventInstanceID	graphEdge.source	Subordinating event
subordinatedEventInstance	graphEdge.target	Subordinated event

Conversion Notes

A TimeML-annotated document can be converted to Layers records as follows:

1. Create a pub.layers.expression record with kind="document" from the source text
2. For each TIMEX3, create an annotation in an annotationLayer with kind="span", subkind="temporal-expression", formalism="timeml". Populate the temporal field with a temporalExpression containing the normalized value, modifier, anchor, and function
3. For each EVENT, create an annotation in an annotationLayer with kind="span", subkind="situation-mention", formalism="timeml". Store class in label; tense, aspect, polarity, modality in features
4. For each SIGNAL, create an annotation in an annotationLayer with kind="span", subkind="temporal-signal", formalism="timeml"
5. For each TLINK, create a graphEdge with the mapped Allen relation as edgeType
6. For each ALINK, create a graphEdge with the mapped aspectual relation as edgeType
7. For each SLINK, create a graphEdge with edgeType="discourse" and the subordination type as label

All TimeML IDs (tid, eid, sid, lid) map to Layers UUIDs. Cross-references use objectRef with localId (same record) or recordRef + objectId (cross-record).