Natural Language to What? A Vision for Intermediate Representations in NL-to-X Querying

TL;DR

This paper advocates for intermediate semantic representations in natural language querying, emphasizing their role in complex, heterogeneous data environments where the target query is not predetermined.

Contribution

It introduces the NLIQ framework and target adequacy as a criterion, broadening the scope of NL-to-X querying beyond fixed backend languages.

Findings

Proposes the NLIQ framework for diverse query regimes

Defines target adequacy as a key criterion

Highlights the importance of intermediate representations in complex environments

Abstract

Natural-language-initiated querying is usually framed as translation into a predetermined backend language such as SQL, Cypher, or SPARQL. That framing is appropriate when the semantic target is known in advance, but it does not cover the full space of natural-language query workloads. In document-centric, mixed, and heterogeneous environments, the first semantic problem may be to determine what target should be constructed before backend-specific execution can begin. This paper proposes the $\textit{NLIQ}~$ lens for this broader space. It introduces target adequacy as the criterion for distinguishing settings in which the target is given, only partially specified, or must itself be constructed, and argues that intermediate representations in the latter regimes are not merely implementation devices but first-class semantic objects. The paper develops a compact framework of $\textit{NLIQ}~$ regimes, illustrates the distinction through representative examples, and identifies a new research terrain around semantic target formation, intermediate representation design, heterogeneous compilation, and answer formation in complex data environments.