Re: TECH: Sound Change program

Paul wrote:
<<
from > to / environment

such as:

d > t / _ #
 >>

First, it's great to hear you're undertaking this tack.  Right on!

I actually have something that does exactly this, and the *most*
annoying thing about it is that only A > B / C_D is understood.
So, a quick example.  Let's say a language has the stops p, b, t, d,
k, g and q.  Now let's say you have a rule that reads as follows:

C[-cont] > [+cont] / V_V

The program I have doesn't understand:

(1) features
(2) variables

So in order to get this to work, you have to input the following
(assuming a five vowel language):

p > f / a_a
p > f / a_e
p > f / a_i
p > f / a_o
p > f / a_u
p > f / e_a

...and on, and on, and on, for *every* stop.  The list grows enormous!
And lord help you if you want to modify the rule slightly some time
in the future.

So, if your program could  understand user-designed variables (e.g.,
it understands that "a, e, i, o and u" are V if you say so), and *maybe*
features (that might be too hard), or at least have a way to deal with
features, that would be a significant improvement.

-David
*******************************************************************
"A male love inevivi i'ala'i oku i ue pokulu'ume o heki a."
"No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn."

-Jim Morrison

http://dedalvs.free.fr/

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