Converting English text to Shavian script

To learn about the Shavian Alphabet, check out Shavian.info.

To transliterate English-language text files and web pages into Shavian script, I've written a C program, a Python program, and a dictionary used by both.

To use shaw.c, do:

bunzip2 dave.dict.bz2
gcc -o shaw shaw.c
shaw dave.dict

Now just type stuff on the screen and press Enter.

For shaw.py you'll need Python version 3.5 or above and the Natural Language Toolkit:

sudo apt install bunzip2 wget unaccent python3
wget dechifro.org/shavian/{shaw.py,dave.dict.bz2}
bunzip2 dave.dict.bz2
pip3 install nltk
python3
>>> import nltk
>>> nltk.download('punkt')
>>> nltk.download('averaged_perceptron_tagger')
>>> exit()

wget -k -O normal.html en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bernard_Shaw
cat normal.html | unaccent utf-8 | python3 shaw.py dave.dict > shavian.html
firefox shavian.html &

The result should look like this.

Because shaw.py runs the entire text through NLTK's part-of-speech tagger in one piece, you can't use it interactively; it waits for end-of-file on input before outputing anything. The benefit of NLTK is that part-of-speech tagging resolves most heteronyms, e.g. "lives" as a noun is "𐑤𐑲𐑝𐑟" while as a verb it is "𐑤𐑦𐑝𐑟". shaw.c can't do this because NLTK doesn't support C.

If "unaccent utf-8" doesn't work, try "uconv -x Latin-ASCII" instead. If you use neither, accented words like "résumé" won't translate.

On Android 7.0 or later, you can install Termux with Storage permission and run shaw.py there. The .bashrc file on my smartphone contains:

shupdate()
{
  rm shaw.py* dave.dict*
  wget dechifro.org/shavian/{shaw.py,dave.dict.bz2}
  bunzip2 dave.dict.bz2
}

shave()
{
  wget -k -O normal.html $1
  echo Converting to Shavian...
  uconv -x Latin-ASCII normal.html | python3 shaw.py dave.dict \
	> /storage/emulated/0/Documents/shavian.html
  echo All done!
}

I copy a URL, open Termux, type "shave ", paste the URL, press Enter, wait for it to finish, then open Documents/shavian.html.

On Linux, once you have shaw.py working, there's a Firefox extension that automatically renders every website you visit in Shavian. At the command line do:

sudo bash
apt install unaccent xxd
cd /usr/local/share
wget dechifro.org/shavian/extension.tgz
tar xvf extension.tgz
cd shavian
mv shavian.json /usr/lib/mozilla/native-messaging-hosts
wget dechifro.org/shavian/{shaw.py,dave.dict.bz2}
bunzip2 dave.dict.bz2
exit
firefox about:debugging\#/runtime/this-firefox &

In Firefox, click "Load Temporary Add-on" and choose the file /usr/local/share/shavian/manifest.json. Every website you load will display normally for a second, then switch to Shavian. This continues until you either quit Firefox or right-click the "𐑖𐑷" button and choose "Remove Extension".

Go to Preferences/Fonts/Advanced and set your Serif font to "Noto Sans Shavian". Linux has no Serif fonts for Shavian, so Firefox will render some text in a low-quality bitmap font if you don't perform this step.

There are many ways to input Shavian text, but Gaspar Sinai's Yudit lets users enter non-Latin text without learning a new keyboard layout. Here's my keymap file. To install it, do:

mytool -convert my -write ~/.yudit/data/Shavian.my -mys Shavian.mys -rmys Shavian.mys

If you don't like my Latin-to-Shavian mapping, you can very easily change it.

To display Shavian text in Xterm, I designed some free bitmap glyphs. Here's a specimen in 6x13 fixed, which has been X11's default font since the 1980s because of its compactness and superior readability:

Xterm defaults to black-on-white, but I much prefer white on dark slate gray. The same text in your web browser's default font looks like this:

𐑞 𐑿𐑯𐑨𐑯𐑦𐑥𐑩𐑕 𐑛𐑧𐑒𐑤𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑝 𐑞 𐑔𐑻𐑑𐑰𐑯 𐑿𐑯𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑕 𐑝 ·𐑩𐑥𐑧𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑩, 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑦𐑯 𐑞 𐑒𐑹𐑕 𐑝 𐑣𐑿𐑥𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑝𐑧𐑯𐑑𐑕, 𐑦𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑥𐑟 𐑯𐑧𐑕𐑩𐑕𐑺𐑦 𐑓 𐑢𐑳𐑯 𐑐𐑰𐑐𐑩𐑤 𐑑 𐑛𐑦𐑟𐑪𐑤𐑝 𐑞 𐑐𐑩𐑤𐑦𐑑𐑦𐑒𐑩𐑤 𐑚𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑣𐑨𐑝 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑧𐑒𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑩𐑯𐑳𐑞𐑼, 𐑯 𐑑 𐑩𐑕𐑿𐑥 𐑩𐑥𐑳𐑙 𐑞 𐑐𐑬𐑼𐑟 𐑝 𐑞 𐑻𐑔, 𐑞 𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑼𐑩𐑑 𐑯 𐑰𐑒𐑢𐑩𐑤 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑞 𐑤𐑷𐑟 𐑝 𐑯𐑱𐑗𐑼 𐑯 𐑝 𐑯𐑱𐑗𐑼'𐑟 𐑜𐑪𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑑𐑲𐑑𐑩𐑤 𐑞𐑧𐑥, 𐑩 𐑛𐑰𐑕𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑑 𐑞 𐑩𐑐𐑦𐑯𐑘𐑩𐑯𐑟 𐑝 𐑥𐑨𐑯𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑮𐑦𐑒𐑢𐑲𐑼𐑟 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑛𐑦𐑒𐑤𐑺 𐑞 𐑒𐑷𐑟𐑩𐑟 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑦𐑥𐑐𐑧𐑤 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑑 𐑞 𐑕𐑧𐑐𐑼𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯.

𐑢𐑰 𐑣𐑴𐑤𐑛 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑑𐑮𐑵𐑞𐑟 𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑓-𐑧𐑝𐑦𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑑, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑷𐑤 𐑥𐑧𐑯 𐑸 𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑱𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑰𐑒𐑢𐑩𐑤, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑬𐑛 𐑚𐑲 𐑞𐑺 𐑒𐑮𐑦𐑱𐑑𐑼 𐑢𐑦𐑞 𐑕𐑻𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑳𐑯𐑱𐑤𐑾𐑯𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤 𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑕, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑩𐑥𐑳𐑙 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑸 𐑤𐑲𐑓, 𐑤𐑦𐑚𐑼𐑑𐑦 𐑯 𐑞 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑿𐑑 𐑝 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑕.--𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑑 𐑕𐑦𐑒𐑘𐑫𐑼 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑮𐑲𐑑𐑕, 𐑜𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑯𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑸 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑑𐑿𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑩𐑥𐑳𐑙 𐑥𐑧𐑯, 𐑛𐑦𐑮𐑲𐑝𐑦𐑙 𐑞𐑺 𐑡𐑳𐑕𐑑 𐑐𐑬𐑼𐑟 𐑓𐑮𐑪𐑥 𐑞 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑧𐑯𐑑 𐑝 𐑞 𐑜𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑯𐑛, --𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑢𐑧𐑯𐑧𐑝𐑼 𐑧𐑯𐑦 𐑓𐑹𐑥 𐑝 𐑜𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑯𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑚𐑦𐑒𐑳𐑥𐑟 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑳𐑒𐑑𐑦𐑝 𐑝 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑧𐑯𐑛𐑟, 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞 𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑝 𐑞 𐑐𐑰𐑐𐑩𐑤 𐑑 𐑷𐑤𐑑𐑼 𐑹 𐑑 𐑩𐑚𐑪𐑤𐑦𐑖 𐑦𐑑, 𐑯 𐑑 𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑑𐑿𐑑 𐑯𐑿 𐑜𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑯𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑, 𐑤𐑱𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑓𐑬𐑯𐑛𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯 𐑪𐑯 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑐𐑮𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑐𐑩𐑤𐑟 𐑯 𐑹𐑜𐑩𐑯𐑲𐑟𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑑𐑕 𐑐𐑬𐑼𐑟 𐑦𐑯 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑓𐑹𐑥, 𐑨𐑟 𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑖𐑨𐑤 𐑕𐑰𐑥 𐑥𐑴𐑕𐑑 𐑤𐑲𐑒𐑤𐑦 𐑑 𐑦𐑓𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑞𐑺 𐑕𐑱𐑓𐑑𐑦 𐑯 𐑣𐑨𐑐𐑦𐑯𐑩𐑕. 𐑐𐑮𐑵𐑛𐑩𐑯𐑕, 𐑦𐑯𐑛𐑰𐑛, 𐑢𐑦𐑤 𐑛𐑦𐑒𐑑𐑱𐑑 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑜𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑯𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑𐑕 𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑖𐑑 𐑖𐑫𐑛 𐑯𐑪𐑑 𐑚𐑰 𐑗𐑱𐑯𐑡𐑛 𐑓 𐑤𐑲𐑑 𐑯 𐑑𐑮𐑨𐑯𐑟𐑾𐑯𐑑 𐑒𐑷𐑟𐑩𐑟; 𐑯 𐑩𐑒𐑹𐑛𐑦𐑙𐑤𐑦 𐑷𐑤 𐑦𐑒𐑕𐑐𐑽𐑾𐑯𐑕 𐑣𐑨𐑔 𐑖𐑴𐑯, 𐑞𐑨𐑑 𐑥𐑨𐑯𐑒𐑲𐑯𐑛 𐑸 𐑥𐑹 𐑛𐑦𐑕𐑐𐑴𐑟𐑛 𐑑 𐑕𐑳𐑓𐑼, 𐑢𐑲𐑤 𐑰𐑝𐑩𐑤𐑟 𐑸 𐑕𐑳𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑚𐑩𐑤, 𐑞𐑨𐑯 𐑑 𐑮𐑲𐑑 𐑞𐑧𐑥𐑕𐑧𐑤𐑝𐑟 𐑚𐑲 𐑩𐑚𐑪𐑤𐑦𐑖𐑦𐑙 𐑞 𐑓𐑹𐑥𐑟 𐑑 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑞𐑱 𐑸 𐑩𐑒𐑳𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑥𐑛. 𐑚𐑳𐑑 𐑢𐑧𐑯 𐑩 𐑤𐑪𐑙 𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑯 𐑝 𐑩𐑚𐑿𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑯 𐑿𐑟𐑻𐑐𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟, 𐑐𐑼𐑕𐑿𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯𐑝𐑺𐑾𐑚𐑤𐑦 𐑞 𐑕𐑱𐑥 𐑪𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑦𐑝𐑦𐑯𐑕𐑩𐑟 𐑩 𐑛𐑦𐑟𐑲𐑯 𐑑 𐑮𐑦𐑛𐑿𐑕 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑳𐑯𐑛𐑼 𐑨𐑚𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑵𐑑 𐑛𐑧𐑕𐑐𐑩𐑑𐑦𐑟𐑩𐑥, 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞𐑺 𐑮𐑲𐑑, 𐑦𐑑 𐑦𐑟 𐑞𐑺 𐑛𐑿𐑑𐑦, 𐑑 𐑔𐑮𐑴 𐑪𐑓 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑜𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑯𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑, 𐑯 𐑑 𐑐𐑮𐑩𐑝𐑲𐑛 𐑯𐑿 𐑜𐑸𐑛𐑟 𐑓 𐑞𐑺 𐑓𐑿𐑗𐑼 𐑕𐑦𐑒𐑘𐑫𐑼𐑦𐑑𐑦.--𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑣𐑨𐑟 𐑚𐑰𐑯 𐑞 𐑐𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑕𐑳𐑓𐑼𐑩𐑯𐑕 𐑝 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑒𐑪𐑤𐑩𐑯𐑦𐑟; 𐑯 𐑕𐑳𐑗 𐑦𐑟 𐑯𐑬 𐑞 𐑯𐑦𐑕𐑧𐑕𐑦𐑑𐑦 𐑢𐑦𐑗 𐑒𐑩𐑯𐑕𐑑𐑮𐑱𐑯𐑟 𐑞𐑧𐑥 𐑑 𐑷𐑤𐑑𐑼 𐑞𐑺 𐑓𐑹𐑥𐑼 𐑕𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑩𐑥𐑟 𐑝 𐑜𐑳𐑝𐑼𐑯𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑. 𐑞 𐑣𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑼𐑦 𐑝 𐑞 𐑐𐑮𐑧𐑟𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑒𐑦𐑙 𐑝 𐑜𐑮𐑱𐑑 ·𐑚𐑮𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑯 𐑦𐑟 𐑩 𐑣𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑼𐑦 𐑝 𐑮𐑦𐑐𐑰𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑦𐑯𐑡𐑼𐑦𐑟 𐑯 𐑿𐑟𐑻𐑐𐑱𐑖𐑩𐑯𐑟, 𐑷𐑤 𐑣𐑨𐑝𐑦𐑙 𐑦𐑯 𐑛𐑦𐑮𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑪𐑚𐑡𐑧𐑒𐑑 𐑞 𐑦𐑕𐑑𐑨𐑚𐑤𐑦𐑖𐑥𐑩𐑯𐑑 𐑝 𐑩𐑯 𐑨𐑚𐑕𐑩𐑤𐑵𐑑 𐑑𐑦𐑮𐑩𐑯𐑦 𐑴𐑝𐑼 𐑞𐑰𐑟 𐑕𐑑𐑱𐑑𐑕. 𐑑 𐑐𐑮𐑵𐑝 𐑞𐑦𐑕, 𐑤𐑧𐑑 𐑓𐑨𐑒𐑑𐑕 𐑚𐑰 𐑕𐑩𐑚𐑥𐑦𐑑𐑩𐑛 𐑑 𐑩 𐑒𐑨𐑯𐑛𐑦𐑛 𐑢𐑻𐑤𐑛.