A system of translating a first schema of data having one structure or semantics into a second schema of data having a second structure or semantics by using a computer-implemented ontology deconstruction and reconstruction transfer mechanism which automatically creates an ‘interlanguage’ document type definition (interlanguage DTD) in which the interlanguage DTD automatically manages the structure and semantics of the structure and semantics of data to allow an automatic interlanguage definition of the first schema and translation into the second schema by the transfer mechanism. Such use can be in the publishing industry to translate data from any one of a number of key XML-based schemas such as DocBook, HTML4, Open eBook, Digital Talking Book, ONIX, MARC, etc to another of such schemas. The system can also be used to translate queries made on documents in the interlanguage DTD as queries on any of the schemas mapped to that interlanguage DTD.