diff --git a/lang/el-compiler/src/codegen.el b/lang/el-compiler/src/codegen.el
index 65ba9df..f1de5d1 100644
--- a/lang/el-compiler/src/codegen.el
+++ b/lang/el-compiler/src/codegen.el
@@ -589,7 +589,7 @@ fn cg_expr(expr: Map<String, Any>) -> String {
         if left_is_ct {
             if op == "Plus" {
                 if right_is_ct {
-                    time_record_violation("caltime_plus_caltime", "CalendarTime + CalendarTime is not allowed (use cal_to_instant + Duration)")
+                    record_call(state_get("__cg_current_fn"), "temporal:caltime_plus_caltime")
                     return "0 /* TIME_TYPE_ERROR: CalendarTime + CalendarTime */"
                 }
             }
@@ -607,7 +607,7 @@ fn cg_expr(expr: Map<String, Any>) -> String {
                         return "el_instant_add_dur(" + left_c + ", " + right_c + ")"
                     }
                     if right_is_inst {
-                        time_record_violation("instant_plus_instant", "Instant + Instant is not allowed")
+                        record_call(state_get("__cg_current_fn"), "temporal:instant_plus_instant")
                         return "0 /* TIME_TYPE_ERROR: Instant + Instant */"
                     }
                 }
@@ -619,13 +619,13 @@ fn cg_expr(expr: Map<String, Any>) -> String {
                         return "el_duration_add(" + left_c + ", " + right_c + ")"
                     }
                     if is_int_expr(right) {
-                        time_record_violation("duration_plus_int", "Duration + Int is not allowed (use duration_seconds(n) or N.seconds)")
+                        record_call(state_get("__cg_current_fn"), "temporal:duration_plus_int")
                         return "0 /* TIME_TYPE_ERROR: Duration + Int */"
                     }
                 }
                 if right_is_dur {
                     if is_int_expr(left) {
-                        time_record_violation("duration_plus_int", "Int + Duration is not allowed")
+                        record_call(state_get("__cg_current_fn"), "temporal:duration_plus_int")
                         return "0 /* TIME_TYPE_ERROR: Int + Duration */"
                     }
                 }
@@ -644,7 +644,7 @@ fn cg_expr(expr: Map<String, Any>) -> String {
                         return "el_duration_sub(" + left_c + ", " + right_c + ")"
                     }
                     if is_int_expr(right) {
-                        time_record_violation("duration_minus_int", "Duration - Int is not allowed")
+                        record_call(state_get("__cg_current_fn"), "temporal:duration_minus_int")
                         return "0 /* TIME_TYPE_ERROR: Duration - Int */"
                     }
                 }
@@ -673,14 +673,14 @@ fn cg_expr(expr: Map<String, Any>) -> String {
                 if left_is_inst {
                     if right_is_inst { return "el_instant_lt(" + left_c + ", " + right_c + ")" }
                     if right_is_dur {
-                        time_record_violation("instant_cmp_duration", "Instant < Duration is not allowed")
+                        record_call(state_get("__cg_current_fn"), "temporal:instant_cmp_duration")
                         return "0 /* TIME_TYPE_ERROR: Instant < Duration */"
                     }
                 }
                 if left_is_dur {
                     if right_is_dur { return "el_duration_lt(" + left_c + ", " + right_c + ")" }
                     if right_is_inst {
-                        time_record_violation("duration_cmp_instant", "Duration < Instant is not allowed")
+                        record_call(state_get("__cg_current_fn"), "temporal:duration_cmp_instant")
                         return "0 /* TIME_TYPE_ERROR: Duration < Instant */"
                     }
                 }
@@ -2353,15 +2353,6 @@ fn is_duration_expr(expr: Map<String, Any>) -> Bool {
 // Record a temporal-type violation. Surfaced as `#error` directives at the
 // top of the generated C, identical machinery to cap_record_violation.
 // kinds: "instant_plus_instant", "duration_plus_int", etc.
-fn time_record_violation(kind: String, detail: String) -> Bool {
-    let csv: String = state_get("__time_violations")
-    if str_eq(csv, "") { let csv = "," }
-    let entry: String = kind + ":" + detail
-    let key: String = "," + entry + ","
-    if str_contains(csv, key) { return true }
-    state_set("__time_violations", csv + entry + ",")
-    return true
-}
 
 // Recursive type-propagation: is `expr` known-Int at codegen time?
 // This unifies the BinOp(+) dispatch so chained arithmetic over Int
@@ -2542,24 +2533,6 @@ fn float_operand_c(expr: Map<String, Any>, expr_c: String) -> String {
 // as a CSV entry "kind:detail" via time_record_violation. Each entry maps
 // to a single #error so downstream cc fails the build with a clear El-
 // source-level message before the bogus C even links.
-fn emit_time_violations() -> Void {
-    let csv: String = state_get("__time_violations")
-    if str_eq(csv, "") { return }
-    if str_eq(csv, ",") { return }
-    let n: Int = str_len(csv)
-    let i: Int = 1
-    while i < n {
-        let next_comma: Int = str_index_of(str_slice(csv, i, n), ",")
-        if next_comma < 0 { return }
-        let entry: String = str_slice(csv, i, i + next_comma)
-        let colon: Int = str_index_of(entry, ":")
-        if colon > 0 {
-            let detail: String = str_slice(entry, colon + 1, str_len(entry))
-            emit_line("#error \"temporal type error: " + detail + "\"")
-        }
-        let i = i + next_comma + 1
-    }
-}
 
 // -- Builtin arity table -------------------------------------------------------
 //
@@ -3232,7 +3205,6 @@ fn codegen(stmts: [Map<String, Any>], source: String) -> String {
     // Clear capability-violation accumulator from any prior compile.
     // Clear arity-violation accumulator from any prior compile.
     // Clear temporal-type-violation accumulator from any prior compile.
-    state_set("__time_violations", "")
 
     // Preamble
     emit_line("#include <stdint.h>")
@@ -3498,7 +3470,6 @@ fn codegen(stmts: [Map<String, Any>], source: String) -> String {
     // so a misuse of a known builtin (wrong arg count) fails the build
     // with a clear message naming the builtin and its expected arity.
     // Temporal-type violations (Instant + Instant, Duration + Int, -).
-    emit_time_violations()
 
     // Return empty string - output was streamed via println
     ""
@@ -4007,7 +3978,6 @@ fn emit_streaming_preamble(sigs: [Map<String, Any>], source: String) -> Void {
     if cgi_count >= 1 { let kind = "cgi" }
     if svc_count >= 1 { let kind = "service" }
     state_set("__program_kind", kind)
-    state_set("__time_violations", "")
 
     emit_line("#include <stdint.h>")
     emit_line("#include <stdlib.h>")
@@ -4530,7 +4500,6 @@ fn codegen_streaming(tokens: [Any], sigs: [Map<String, Any>], source: String) ->
     emit_line("  return 0;")
     emit_line("}")
     emit_blank()
-    emit_time_violations()
     el_arena_pop(main_arena_mark)
 
     ""
diff --git a/lang/tests/integration/temporal_query.sh b/lang/tests/integration/temporal_query.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..0b88bf1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/tests/integration/temporal_query.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# Control for temporal adjudication as a query.
+#
+# The emitter records which illegal combination it saw and still emits a
+# TIME_TYPE_ERROR placeholder -- it has to emit SOMETHING for an illegal
+# expression. What moved out is the judgment and the wording.
+set -uo pipefail
+ELC="${1:?usage: temporal_query.sh <elc>}"
+LANG_DIR="${2:-$(cd "$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/../.." && pwd)}"
+W=$(mktemp -d); trap 'rm -rf "$W"' EXIT; F=0
+chk(){ [ "$2" = "$3" ] && printf '  ok    %s\n' "$1" || { printf '  FAIL  %s\n    expected %s got %s\n' "$1" "$2" "$3"; F=$((F+1)); }; }
+cd "$LANG_DIR"
+
+printf 'fn main() {\n    let a: Instant = now()\n    let b: Instant = now()\n    let c: Instant = a + b\n    println("x")\n}\n' > "$W/b.el"
+EL_RELATIONS_OUT="$W/r.txt" "$ELC" "$W/b.el" >/dev/null 2>&1
+chk "the illegal combination is recorded, not judged, by the emitter" \
+    "1" "$(grep -c 'temporal:instant_plus_instant' "$W/r.txt")"
+chk "the emitter no longer authors the message" \
+    "0" "$("$ELC" "$W/b.el" 2>/dev/null | grep -c 'is not allowed')"
+chk "a placeholder is still emitted for the illegal expression" \
+    "1" "$("$ELC" "$W/b.el" 2>/dev/null | grep -c TIME_TYPE_ERROR)"
+out=$("./tools/check/temporal.sh" "$W/r.txt" 2>&1); rc=$?
+chk "the query judges it" "1" "$rc"
+chk "and explains why, from data" "1" "$(echo "$out" | grep -c 'a point plus a point is not a point')"
+
+printf 'fn main() {\n    let a: Instant = now()\n    let d: Duration = el_duration_from_nanos(1)\n    let c: Instant = a + d\n    println("x")\n}\n' > "$W/g.el"
+EL_RELATIONS_OUT="$W/r2.txt" "$ELC" "$W/g.el" >/dev/null 2>&1
+"./tools/check/temporal.sh" "$W/r2.txt" >/dev/null 2>&1
+chk "a legal program exits 0" "0" "$?"
+echo; echo "  6 assertions, $((6-F)) passed, $F failed"; exit $F
diff --git a/lang/tools/check/temporal.rel b/lang/tools/check/temporal.rel
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae8fb16
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/tools/check/temporal.rel
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# temporal.rel — the affine algebra of time, as data.
+#
+# An Instant is a POINT and a Duration is a DISPLACEMENT. Every rule below
+# follows from that, and the set is closed because there are only two kinds of
+# thing: you may add a displacement to a point, subtract two points to get a
+# displacement, and combine displacements. Nothing else is meaningful.
+#
+# The emitter records which illegal combination it saw; this file says what that
+# means and how to say it.
+#
+#   <kind> means <message>
+
+instant_plus_instant   means Instant + Instant is not allowed — a point plus a point is not a point. Subtract them for a Duration, or add a Duration.
+duration_plus_int      means Duration + Int is not allowed — an Int carries no unit. Use duration_seconds(n) or N.seconds.
+duration_minus_int     means Duration - Int is not allowed — an Int carries no unit.
+instant_cmp_duration   means Instant < Duration is not allowed — a point and a displacement are not on the same scale.
+duration_cmp_instant   means Duration < Instant is not allowed — a displacement and a point are not on the same scale.
+caltime_plus_caltime   means CalendarTime + CalendarTime is not allowed — a CalendarTime already projects an Instant under a Calendar. Use cal_to_instant first.
diff --git a/lang/tools/check/temporal.sh b/lang/tools/check/temporal.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..8452c8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lang/tools/check/temporal.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+# temporal.sh — report temporal type violations from emitted relations.
+#
+# The emitter still has to emit SOMETHING for an illegal expression, so the
+# TIME_TYPE_ERROR placeholder stays in the generated C. What moved out is the
+# judgment and the wording: codegen records "temporal:instant_plus_instant" and
+# this decides what that means.
+set -uo pipefail
+REL="${1:?usage: temporal.sh <relations-file> [rules]}"
+RULES="${2:-$(dirname "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}")/temporal.rel}"
+[ -f "$REL" ] || exit 0
+V=0
+while read -r caller _ rest; do
+    [ "${rest#temporal:}" = "$rest" ] && continue
+    kind="${rest#temporal:}"
+    msg=$(awk -v k="$kind" '$1==k && $2=="means" {sub(/^[^ ]+[ ]+means[ ]+/,""); print; exit}' "$RULES")
+    [ -n "$msg" ] || msg="$kind"
+    printf 'temporal type error in %s: %s\n' "$caller" "$msg"
+    V=$((V+1))
+done < <(sort -u "$REL")
+[ "$V" -eq 0 ] && echo "temporal: clean"
+exit "$V"