domain

Domain — ubiquitous language

Make the caller's domain language precise enough to use consistently in

acceptance examples, code and conversation. A bounded context is the area in

which a term has one agreed meaning and an owner for its rules. Different

contexts may legitimately use the same word differently.

Procedure

1. Locate the caller repository's existing vocabulary owner from its instructions,

domain docs or contracts. Read only the terms and context boundaries relevant

to the task. Cite the source when returning a definition; a lookup is read-only.

If no definition exists, distinguish an observed code name from a proposed term.

1. For an ambiguous term, identify the actor, state, operation and observable

result it denotes. Compare the intended meaning with relevant callers, types

and tests. Report a disagreement between code and accepted intent explicitly;

neither silently rewriting intent to match code nor renaming a bug fixes it.

1. Use a concrete example to distinguish competing meanings. For branching

behavior, express the consequential boundary as Given/When/Then. Reuse the

accepted example in implementation and validation. Ask only when an unresolved

distinction would change behavior or ownership; do not interview for a lookup.

1. Use the settled term in scenario names, operations, types and documentation.

When a word crosses contexts, name each meaning and the translation between

them instead of imposing one global definition. Keep naming changes within

authorized scope; exported names, serialized fields and stored values may

require compatibility work, not a cosmetic replacement.

1. When vocabulary refinement is authorized, update its existing source owner

with the meaning, relevant context and distinguishing example. Preserve useful

aliases as explicit translations. Without an owner, return the proposal in

the caller's existing intent or conversation; create no glossary by default.

Return unresolved distinctions and stop when the next change can be named

and judged consistently.

AgentOps terms

When AgentOps is the subject, its owners remain

docs/contracts/ubiquitous-language.md and, for responsibilities and ports,

docs/contracts/bounded-contexts.yaml. Return their exact definitions and

source paths. Do not apply AgentOps vocabulary to an unrelated caller domain.

The synonym smuggling failure substitutes a word that changes a term's authority:

calling a verdict a closure quietly assigns a tracker transition to judgment.

The operations layer, federated integration graph, semantic work-and-proof

protocol and RPI traversal retain their distinct meanings in the live contract.

Queue, claim, lease, close, land, release and delivery remain caller-system

responsibilities. Vocabulary edits do not authorize those transitions.

References

• [Caller vocabulary examples](references/caller-vocabulary.md)
• Upstream capability reference — Matt Pocock; original AgentOps adaptation.

Applicable engineering standards

Load only the language or risk guidance needed for the current change from

[standards references](references/standards/common-standards.md). Repository

contracts and the actual toolchain take precedence. A vocabulary lookup does

not require a coding-standards survey, and these references do not create a

second approval or validation lane.

Choose just the applicable reference:

• Languages: [Go](references/standards/go.md), [Python](references/standards/python.md), [Rust](references/standards/rust.md), [JavaScript](references/standards/javascript.md), [TypeScript](references/standards/typescript.md), [shell](references/standards/shell.md).
• Data and prose: [JSON](references/standards/json.md), [YAML](references/standards/yaml.md), [Markdown](references/standards/markdown.md).
• Relevant risk: [concurrency](references/standards/race-condition-checklist.md), [SQL](references/standards/sql-safety-checklist.md), [LLM trust](references/standards/llm-trust-boundary-checklist.md).
• Test design: [test pyramid](references/standards/test-pyramid.md); package form: [skill structure](references/standards/skill-structure.md).