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 < english.txt

Or do "shaw dave.dict", 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:

bunzip2 dave.dict.bz2
pip3 install nltk
python3
>>> import nltk
>>> nltk.download('punkt')
>>> nltk.download('averaged_perceptron_tagger')
>>> exit()
python3 shaw.py dave.dict < english.txt

Because shaw.py runs the entire text through NLTK's part-of-speech tagger in one piece, you can't use it interactively. It outputs nothing until it receives end-of-file on input. 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.

Once you have shaw.py working, you can install a Firefox extension that automatically renders every website you visit in Shavian. At the command line do:

sudo bash
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}
bunzip 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.

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.