1. A computer-implemented method comprising: storing a plurality of attributes in a relational database; for each attribute of one or more attributes of the plurality of attributes, relating at least one semantic equivalent to the attribute; receiving a query to retrieve data from the relational database, the query comprising at least one attribute of the one or more attributes and at least one relational algebra operation; and in response to receiving the query: identifying the at least one semantic equivalent relating to the at least one attribute, providing at least one semantically aware relational algebra operation based on the at least one attribute, the at least one semantic equivalent and the at least one relational algebra operation, and determining the data to retrieve based on performing the at least one semantically aware relational algebra operation on the data in the relational database.