I am a preparing a book in a native American language that requires multiply accented characters. Entering these by, e.g., \'{\b{a}} is painful and makes the source code difficult to read, especially for triply accented characters. What I'd like is the following input/output pairs:
'a = \'a
,a = \b{a}
',a = \'{\b{a}}
Here is the full version of the problem.
There are two different writing systems, based on the Roman alphabet, currently in use by the tribe. I want to define two different environments (\PMKencoding and \AHWencoding) such that the same code will output in both orthographies: all you need to do is switch the environment.
The language has 6 basic vowels. In the AHW encoding, I want a = a (i.e., a to give a), e = e, i = i, o = o, u = u, and å = au). In PMK, a = à, e = è, i = ì, o = ò, u = ù, and å = àu.
In AHW, the long versions of vowels are aa, ey, ii, ow, uu, aw. In PMK, they are grave + macron: \`{\=a}}, \`{\=e}}, \`{\=i}}, \`{\=o}}, \`{\=u}}, \`{\=a}}u.
In addition to low tone, vowels can also have high or falling tone. They can also be nasal. Thus, each vowel can occur in 12 forms. I'd like to encode these 12 forms with something like the following input system. In all of the following, I'm open to suggestions concerning the symbols, but I'd definitely like to avoid mixing SHIFT-accessed characters (e.g., ~) with non-SHIFT-accessed ones (e.g., '); I find such mixing leads to errors. I've chosen characters that are intuitive from a linguist's point of view.
'a = short high a (\'{a})
',a = short high nasal a (\'{\b{a}})
'.a = long high a (AHW \'{a}a, PMK \'{\=a})
';a = long high nasal a (AHW \'{\b{a}}a, PMK \'{\={\b{a}}})
`a = short falling a (\^a)
`,a = short falling nasal a (\^{\b{a}})
`.a = long falling a (AHW \^{a}a, PMK \^a)
`;a = long falling nasal a (AHW \^{\b{a}}a, PMK \^{\b{a}})
a = short low a (AHW a, PMK à)
,a = short nasal a (AHW \b{a}, PMK \`{\b{a}})
.a = long low a (AHW aa, PMK \'{\=a})
;a = long low nasal a (AHW \b{a}a, PMK \`{\={\b{a}}})
Note. I'm also open to '.,a for long high nasal. Above, I've used ; for the combination of . and ,.
Note 2. I would rather input grave+a than circumflex+a (I find using lots of SHIFT strokes slows typing speed and increases error).
Note 3. In case you think there's been a slip up, the PMK orthography does not distinguish long from short on vowels with falling tone.
Note 4. All vowels behave the same from the point of view of accents. But length is indicated by various means in the AHW orthography. The vowels i and u behave like a (repetition denotes length). For the sake of clarity, at the end, I've appended a list of what the other vowels should do.
In addition to vowels, consonants present some demands:
.p = AHW p, PMK f
`p = AHW ph, PMK p
'p = AHW p', PMK v
.t = AHW t, PMK j
`t = AHW th, PMK t
't = AHW t', PMK th
.k = AHW k, PMK c
`k = AHW kh, PMK k
'k = AHW k', PMK q
.c = AHW ts, PMK ch
'c = AHW ts', PMK x
The letter Y has some strange grammatical properties, which call for:
.y = AHW i, PMK i
,y = AHW y, PMK (nothing)
Finally, I need a symbol that will be a hyphen in the AHW system but a space in the PMK system.
~ = AHW -, PMK (i.e., a space).
I will be more than happy to acknowledge any assistance in print. Truth is, just thinking about the encoding has kept me from the project I'm about to embark on for far too long.
Other vowels:
'e = short high e (\'{e})
',e = short high nasal e (\'{\b{e}})
'.e = long high e (AHW \'{e}y, PMK \'{\=e})
';e = long high nasal e (AHW \'{\b{e}}y, PMK \'{\={\b{e}}})
`e = short falling e (\^e)
`,e = short falling nasal e (\^{\b{e}})
`.e = long falling e (AHW \^{e}y, PMK \^e)
`;e = long falling nasal e (AHW \^{\b{e}}y, PMK \^{\b{e}})
e = short low e (AHW e, PMK \`e)
,e = short nasal e (AHW \b{a}, PMK \`{\b{e}})
.e = long low e (AHW ey, PMK \`{\=e})
;e = long low nasal e (AHW \b{e}y, PMK \`{\={\b{e}}})
'o = short high o (\'{o})
',o = short high nasal o (\'{\b{o}})
'.o = long high o (AHW \'{o}w, PMK \'{\=o})
';o = long high nasal o (AHW \'{\b{o}}w, PMK \'{\={\b{o}}})
`o = short falling o (\^o)
`,o = short falling nasal o (\^{\b{o}})
`.o = long falling o (AHW \^{o}w, PMK \^o)
`;o = long falling nasal o (AHW \^{\b{o}}w, PMK \^{\b{o}})
o = short low o (AHW o, PMK \`o)
,o = short nasal o (AHW \b{a}, PMK \`{\b{o}})
.o = long low o (AHW ow, PMK \`{\=o})
;o = long low nasal o (AHW \b{o}w, PMK \`{\={\b{o}}})
'å = short high au (\'{a}u)
',å = short high nasal au (\'{\b{a}}u)
'.å = long high au (AHW \'{a}w, PMK \'{\=a}u)
';å = long high nasal au (AHW \'{\b{a}}w, PMK \'{\={\b{a}}}u)
`å = short falling au (\^{a}u)
`,å = short falling nasal au (\^{\b{a}}u)
`.å = long falling au (AHW \^{a}w, PMK \^{a}u)
`;å = long falling nasal au (AHW \^{\b{a}}w, PMK \^{\b{a}}u)
å = short low au (AHW au, PMK \`å)
,å = short nasal au (AHW \b{a}u, PMK \`{\b{a}}u)
.å = long low au (AHW aw, PMK \'{\=a}u)
;å = long low nasal au (AHW \b{a}w, PMK \`{\={\b{a}}}u)
\bor\k?\bfor the purposes of this question. (\kis used in academic writing. I slipped up in my original post.)atransformed intoàwithout making theaactive, which is out of the question. What about preceding short vowels by-and long ones by=? This would also simplify the definitions, as we wouldn't need to make quotes, comma, period and semicolon active.