IPA Converter

This npm package contains functions to covert strings to IPA, based on an input script dictionary. The main use for this package is in conlanging software, where the user can make their own script and convert their words to IPA. The package supports: alphabets, syllabaries and abugida's (and impure abjads with vowel diacritics using the abugida system).

Installation

npm install @thecuddlybear/ipaconverter

Usage

import { IPAFromAlphabet, IPAFromSyllabary, IPAFromAbugida } from '@thecuddlybear/ipaconverter';

// Converting an own-defined alphabet to ipa
const alphabet = [["α", "a"], ["β", "b"], ["γ", "g"], ["δ", "d"], ["ε", "e"], ["ζ", "z"], ["η", "h"], ["θ", "θ"], ["ι", "i"], ["κ", "k"], ["λ", "l"], ["μ", "m"], ["ν", "n"], ["ξ", "x"], ["ο", "o"], ["π", "p"], ["ρ", "r"], ["σ", "s"], ["τ", "t"], ["υ", "u"], ["φ", "f"], ["χ", "χ"], ["ψ", "ψ"], ["ω", "o"]];

var ipaAlphabet = IPAFromAlphabet("βετα χι", alphabet); // Returns beta χi

// Converting an own-defined syllabary to ipa, works on the same principle as the alphabet.
const syllabary = [["か", "ka"], ["け", "ke"], ["き", "ki"], ["こ", "ko"], ["く", "ku"], ["さ", "sa"], ["せ", "se"], ["し", "shi"], ["そ", "so"], ["す", "su"], ["た", "ta"], ["て", "te"], ["ち", "chi"], ["と", "to"], ["つ", "tsu"], ["な", "na"], ["ね", "ne"], ["に", "ni"], ["の", "no"], ["ぬ", "nu"], ["は", "ha"], ["へ", "he"], ["ひ", "hi"], ["ほ", "ho"], ["ふ", "fu"], ["ま", "ma"], ["め", "me"], ["み", "mi"], ["も", "mo"], ["む", "mu"], ["や", "ya"], ["よ", "yo"], ["ゆ", "yu"], ["ら", "ra"], ["れ", "re"], ["り", "ri"], ["ろ", "ro"], ["る", "ru"], ["わ", "wa"], ["を", "wo"], ["ん", "n"]];

const ipaSyllabary = IPAFromSyllabary("かへに", syllabary); // Returns kehi

// Converting an own-defined abugida to ipa, this works a little bit different, 
// as it requires the vowels to be specified separately from the consonant with a placeholder.
// This is not foolproof!! It isn't the best optimised way of doing this, so the longer the input string, the longer it will take to convert.
// The placeholder CANNOT contain any regex characters, it is wise to use characters like ∈
const placeholder = "∈"
const vowelArray = [["∈ा", "a"], ["∈ि", "i"], ["∈ी", "i"], ["∈ु", "u"], ["∈ू", "u"], ["∈े", "e"], ["∈ै", "ai"], ["∈ो", "o"], ["∈ौ", "au"], ["∈ं", "am"], ["∈ः", "ah"], ["∈ँ", "an"]];
const consonantArray = [["क​", "k"], ["ख​", "kh"], ["ग​", "g"], ["घ​", "gh"], ["ङ​", "ṅ"], ["च​", "c"], ["छ​", "ch"], ["ज​", "j"], ["झ​", "jh"], ["ञ​", "ñ"], ["ट​", "ṭ"], ["ठ​", "ṭh"], ["ड​", "ḍ"], ["ढ​", "ḍh"], ["ण​", "ṇ"], ["त​", "t"], ["थ​", "th"], ["द​", "d"], ["ध​", "dh"], ["न​", "n"], ["प​", "p"], ["फ​", "ph"], ["ब​", "b"], ["भ​", "bh"], ["म​", "m"], ["य​", "y"], ["र​", "r"], ["ल​", "l"], ["व​", "v"], ["श​", "ś"], ["ष​", "ṣ"], ["स​", "s"], ["ह​", "h"], ["क्ष​", "kṣ"], ["त्र​", "tr"], ["ज्ञ​", "jñ"]];

const ipaAbugida = IPAFromAbugida("कालि", consonantArray, vowelArray, placeholder); // Returns kali

Get Started with development

1. Run npm install in your terminal
2. Then run npm run build
3. Update the package.json file "name" field with your own package name. Example @username/package-name
4. Create an account with npm if you don't have one already. Also be sure to enable two-factor authentication
5. Sign in to your npm account in your terminal with npm login
6. Run npm publish --access=public to publish your package

Testing

1. Install developer dependencies using the following command in your terminal npm i -D mocha @type/mocha chai @types/chai ts-node
2. Create a new file .mocharc.json in the root directory with the following contents:

   {
     "extension": ["ts"],
     "spec": "./**/*.spec.ts",
     "require": "ts-node/register"
   }

3. Create a tests folder
4. Create an index.spec.ts file in the tests folder
5. Write unit tests in the index.spec.ts file to test the code in index.ts
6. Add a "test" property in the package.json file and give it a value of "mocha"
7. Run npm test in your terminal from the root folder of the project