kdelwat / onset

A language evolution simulator, using realistic phonetic changes.

Onset

Onset is a language evolution simulator, which evolves a list of words in IPA form according to realistic phonological rules.

The frontend is built with Vue and the CSS framework Bulma. It communicates with the backend using simple REST endpoints.

The backend is built with Python and Flask.

Directory Structure

• src is the source code for the Vue frontend
• app is the source code for the Python API, written in Flask.
• engine is the source code for the evolution engine which is called by Flask.
• app/templates/ contains the Webpack-generated index file, served with Flask.
• app/static/ contains static assets generated by Webpack.
• config contains Webpack configuration files, generated using vue-cli

Build Setup

# install Python dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt

# install Javascript dependencies
npm install

# build frontend
npm run build

# run using Flask's development server
python run.py

# or use PyPy for a speed boost
pypy3 run.py

To install development requirements, which will allow testing, validation, and script usage:

pip install -r requirements-dev.txt

To validate the YAML data:

pykwalify -d engine/data/rules.yaml -s engine/data/rules.schema.yaml
pykwalify -d engine/data/diacritics.yaml -s engine/data/diacritics.schema.yaml

To run the tests:

py.test

Sources

A variety of sources were used for the information needed to build this app. Please see the LICENCE.md file in the engine/data directory for specific data sources.

The following papers were used when implementing the algorithms:

• Harold R. Bauer (1988) The ethologic model of phonetic development: I. Phonetic contrast estimators, Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 2:4, 347-380, DOI: 10.3109/02699208808985265
• Carol Stoel-Gammon (2010) The Word Complexity Measure: Description and application to developmental phonology and disorders, Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, 24:4-5, 271-282, DOI: 10.3109/02699200903581059
• Carterette, E. and Jones, M. (1974) Informal Speech: Alphabetic and Phonetic Texts with Statistical Analyses and Tables (Berkeley: University of California Press).

General information on the linguistics underpinning the app is from:

• Trask's Historical Linguistics by Larry Trask.
• Introductory Phonology by Bruce Hayes.
• Wikipedia

A lot of technical inspiration was taken from the source code of panphon. In particular, the deparsing algorithm and YAML data files were inspired by panphon's approach. Please check it out!

onset's Issues

IPA input?

Hi there—obviously this is 4 years old but it could be exactly what I'm looking for to experiment with what english would sound like in a far-future setting.

However, the IPA input doesn't seem to be working. When I input ˈdʒʌŋɡəl, it gives me unknown character. I looked through the YAML but it seems like there are only certain unicode characters allowed? Is this expecting some specific form of IPA that I'm not familiar with?

Thanks :)

Potential bug with 'Vowel Nasalization' rule application

I'm not sure if this is intended behavior or not, but I noticed that when the rule, "Vowels become nasalized after nasal consonants," the rule did not apply to long vowels after nasal consonants. I recognize that this may be intended behavior but I thought I'd bring it to your attention anyway.

onset.cadel.me unreachable

The URL "onset.cadel.me" is unreachable, did you stop hosting it online?

Sound changes to rewrite

The following sound changes must be added to the rules.yaml file before releasing the new version.

• Palatalization
• Consonant Apheresis
• Velarization
• Labialization
• Dentalization
• Rhotacism
• Lambdacism
• T-Glottalization
• Flapping
• Consonant Nasalization
• Voicing
• Lateral Vocalization
• Palatal Vocalization
• Approximation
• Degemination
• Spirantization
• Debuccalization
• Affrication
• Deaffrication
• Approximant Elision
• Gemination
• Despirantization
• Consonant Denasalization
• Devoicing
• Vowel Nasalization
• Raising
• Lowering
• Fronting
• Backing
• Rounding
• Unrounding
• Lengthening
• Shortening
• Glide Formation
• Glide Insertion
• Coalescence
• Vowel Apheresis
• Apocope
• Syncope
• Prothesis
• Diphthongization
• Smoothing

Restructure application

Currently the front-end and back-end are completely separate and must be run independently. They should be combined, using Flask to host the front-end.

Create README

There is currently no real README for the application. This should be written before release, including install instructions and information sources.

Missing build/build.js

When trying to run npm run build, npm throws an error because it can't find build/build.js:

> [email protected] build .../Onset
> node build/build.js

module.js:471
    throw err;
    ^

Error: Cannot find module '.../Onset/build/build.js'
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:469:15)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:417:25)
    at Module.runMain (module.js:604:10)
    at run (bootstrap_node.js:394:7)
    at startup (bootstrap_node.js:149:9)
    at bootstrap_node.js:509:3

npm ERR! Linux 4.4.0-53-generic
npm ERR! argv "/usr/bin/nodejs" "/usr/bin/npm" "run" "build"
npm ERR! node v6.9.2
npm ERR! npm  v3.10.9
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! [email protected] build: `node build/build.js`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR! 
npm ERR! Failed at the [email protected] build script 'node build/build.js'.
npm ERR! Make sure you have the latest version of node.js and npm installed.
npm ERR! If you do, this is most likely a problem with the onset package,
npm ERR! not with npm itself.
npm ERR! Tell the author that this fails on your system:
npm ERR!     node build/build.js
npm ERR! You can get information on how to open an issue for this project with:
npm ERR!     npm bugs onset
npm ERR! Or if that isn't available, you can get their info via:
npm ERR!     npm owner ls onset
npm ERR! There is likely additional logging output above.

npm ERR! Please include the following file with any support request:
npm ERR!     .../Onset/npm-debug.log

Debug log:
npm-debug.log.txt

Application is not reachable.

It seems that the online version of the application is not working.

Necessary sound changes

Consonants

• palatalization
• velarization
• fusion
• segmentalization
• labialization
• retroflexion
• dentalization
• rhotacism
• lambdacism

Lenition

• flapping
• t_glottalization
• nasalization

Sonorization

• voicing
• lateral_vocalization
• palatal_vocalization
• approximation

Opening

• degemination
• affrication
• deaffrication
• spirantization
• debuccalization
• approximant_elision

Fortition

• gemination
• despirantization (?)
• denasalization
• devoicing

Vowels

• nasalization
• raising
• lowering
• fronting
• backing
• rounding
• unrounding
• centralization
• lengthening
• shortening
• diphthongization
• monophthongization
• glide_formation
• glide_insertion
• glide_strengthening
• coalescence

Whole-Segment

• aphaeresis
• apocope
• syncope
• prothesis
• excrescence
• epenthesis

🐛 Lengthening rules apply to already lengthened vowels