To Hell with Dictionaries
Unified Stenography with IPA
Traditional stenography relies on language-specific dictionaries to map chorded inputs to words. However, by using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), Morinaga OS proposes a universal approach.
Advantages of Using IPA
- Language Agnosticism: Since IPA represents sounds universally, the same steno chords can map to words across different languages.
- Reduced Complexity: Eliminates the need for multiple dictionaries, simplifying the stenography system.
- Enhanced Learning: Users can learn one system and apply it to any language.
Implementation Strategy
Phonetic Mapping
Develop a mapping between steno chords and IPA symbols:
{
"STKPWHRAO*EU": "aɪ",
"PH-FPLT": "f",
"TKEUD": "d",
"KPWR": "k",
"KPWH": "g"
}
Dynamic Word Construction
When a user inputs a chord sequence, the system:
- Translates chords to IPA symbols.
- Combines symbols to form phonetic representations.
- Matches the phonetic string to words in the desired language.
Language Selection
Allow users to select the target language, enabling the system to output words accordingly.
Challenges and Solutions
Homophones: Words that sound the same but have different meanings may cause ambiguity. Implement context-aware algorithms to resolve these cases.
Complex Sounds: Some languages have unique phonemes. Extend the IPA mapping to include these sounds.