In an XML Topic Map (XTM), only a topic can have a name or play a role in an association: one may use an association to make an assertion about a topic, but one cannot directly make assertions about that assertion.
Only a topic can have a name. This is in an XML Topic Map (XTM). Only a topic can play a role in an association. This is in an XML Topic Map (XTM). One may use an association to make an assertion about a topic. One cannot directly make assertions about that assertion.