Skolt Sami Rule File

Introduction

xfst vs. twolc

The Skolt Sami rule file differs from the other languages in being an xfst file, rather than a twolc file (each format have different chapters in the pdf version of the Xerox book). The differences between thesew two formats may be summarised as follows:

• xfst rules are ordered, whereas twolc rules apply simultaneously
• xfst rules stand in a feeding-bleeding relation to each other, whereas twolc rules do not
• xfst rules are good at doing many-to-many replacement operations (also of different-size strings), whereas in twolc one must have one rule for each pair of members in equal-length strings
• xfst cannot generalise over ordered sets of pairs, thus the Cx:Cy replacement of members of ordered sets Cx and Cy that is found in twolc must be done in a more clumsy way in xfst.

The reason why xfst is chosen for Skolt Sami (and in the future also for Inari Sami(?)) is that there are several cases of many-to-many replacements in the Skolt Sami grammar.

The structure of the rule file itself

The rule file for Skolt Sami is divided into 5 main types:

1. Definitions
2. Consonant shift rules (tbw)
3. Vowel alternation rules
4. Consonant gradaton rules
5. Rules for cleaning up and composing end result

The structure of this document

The next section presents a general discussion on the rule format of xfst. Thereafter, the rule types of the rule file will be dealt with, in the order indicated in the 5-point list given above.

Rule format and the cascade of rules

Xfst rules are of the following format: interface offers 4 different operator

The definitions

There is no section corresponding to the Alphabet section of twolc. The sets are defined as such by means of the operator OR (written "|" ).

The consonant shift rules

This section will include a.o. word-final consonant changes

The vowel alternation rules

Last modified: $Date: 2008-11-05 18:52:54 +0100 (ons, 05 nov 2008) $, by $Author: boerre $