Nasc documentation

Use the Save button to download your sound changes as a file called 'NASC.txt', or what you named your file in the File name: field. The file is always a ".txt" type.

Use the Load button to load a file on your system into the file editor.

Using comments

Comments are made with a semicolon ; anything after it on the same line is treated as a comment. Comments are useful to explain what a rule does.

; This is a comment
  e > o ;and this is a comment following a rule.

Anatomy of a rule

The format of all parts of a NASC rule can be summarised as

CHANGE / CONDITION ! EXCEPTION | FLAG

Every rule must begin on a new line and contain a CHANGE. The CONDITION, EXCEPTION or FLAG parts are optional.

Change basics

The format of The Change can be expressed as BEFORE > AFTER.

BEFORE specifies which part of the word is being changed. Then followed by a space and the > character. > can be swapped with either ->, =>, ⇒ or → if you prefer. AFTER is what BEFORE is changing into, or in other words, replacing.

Simple change

Let's look at a simple unconditional rule.

; Replace every [o] with an [x]
  o -> x
; bodido ==> bxdidx

In this rule, we see every instance of o become x.

Concurrent change

A concurrent change is achieved by listing multiple phonemes in BEFORE separated by commas, and listing the same amount of resultant phonemes in AFTER separated by commas. Changes in a concurrent change happen at the same time.

; Switch [o] and [e] around
  o, a -> a, o
; boda ==> bado

Notice that the above example is different to the example below:

  o -> a
  a -> o
; boda ==> bodo

where each change is on its own line. We can see o merge with a, then a becomes o.

Merging change

Merging change is accomplished by placing a list of phonemes in BEFORE separated by spaces.

; Three phonemes becoming two phonemes
  ʃ z, dz -> s, d
; zeʃadzas ==> sesadas

Optional change

Optional change only works when it connects an expression without spaces.

; Merge [x] and [xw] into [h]
  x(w) -> h
; xwaxaħa ==> hahaħa

Optional change can also attach to a list of phonemes in a set of curly braces.

; Merge [x], [xw], [ħ] and [ħw] into [h]
  {x ħ}(w) -> h
; xwaxaħa ==> hahaha

The optionalised segment can also have a result in AFTER if it is captured.

; Like the previous rule, but preserve labialisation
  {x ħ}(w) -> h(w)
; xwaxaħa ==> hwahaha

The optionalised segment can also be a concurrent change, or

; Like the previous rule, but preserve palatalisation and labialisation 
  {x ħ}(w, j) -> h(w, j)
; xwaxjaxa ==> hwahjaha

a merging change.

; Like the previous rule, but preserve palatalisation and merge it with labialisation
  {x ħ}(w j) -> h(j)
; xwaxjaxa ==> hjahjaha

Condition basics

The format of a condition is / PRE_POST.

Conditions follow The Change and are placed after a forward slash. The condition may also be called the environment.

PRE is everything before the target. The underscore is a reference to the target. POST is everything after the target

Simple condition

; Change [a] into [e] only when it is between [p]s
  a -> e / p_p
; apaptat ==> apeptat

Multiple conditions in one rule

  a -> e / p_p / t_t
; apaptat ==> apeptet

Word boundaries

  a -> e / p_p#
; apappap ==> apappep

Wildcard

  a -> e / _[]
; apappap ==> apappep

  a -> e / r~_-
; apappap ==> apappep

Multitudes of previous

  a -> e / r+_-
; apappap ==> apappep

Multitudes of wildcard

  a -> e / r[]+_
; apappap ==> apappep

Exception basics

Exception without context

Simple Exception

Complex Exception

The below rule demonstrates multiple exceptions, word boundaries, wildcards and previouses

a -> o ! #_, _#
; apappapa ==> apoppopa

Word-based exception

swore sworn

Word-based exceptions

Features

  featureset: ipa
  [nasal]

The other featureset is called ANSX-SAMPA

  featureset: ansx-sampa
  [nasal]

Positioning

Positions are a way of capturing the target when it is the Nth amount in a word

a@[2] -> o / b_b
babaaabab ==> babaaabob

Intermediate rules

Insertion

^ -> a / b_t
; bt ==> bat

Deletion

b -> ^
; bubda ==> uda

Gemination

p -> p" / a_a

Degemination

p -> ^ / "_

p -> ^ / "_
pap.pa ==> pa.pa

Advanced rules

Metathesis

Metathesis in NASC refers to reordering of phonemes in a word

Local two place metathesis

The most typical metathesis will be local two-place metathesis

; An intervocalic stop + nasal sequence will become nasal + stop
  [stop]&[nasal] -> 2&1 / V__V 
; watna > wanta

One-place metathesis

Gascon forming word initial cluster except where stress first syllable or first consonant is m or h

[stop]&r -> 12& / #_+_ ! #" 
 ;kabatros > krabatos

Long-distance metathesis

v&l -> l&v / _._ 
 ;cavalry > calavry

v&l -> 21& / _._ 
 ;cavalry > calvary

r&o&l -> l&^&r 
/_...[plosive]__
; parabola ==> palabra

Partially simulating Latin to Spanish [r] and [l] metathesis triggered by elision of unstressed vowels

  do:
; Delete vowels when unstressed and not at a word boundary
  a, e, i, o, u > * / _{r,l} ! _@1 ! _@-1
  then:
; Switch [l] and [r]
  r&l -> l&r /_...[plosive]__
; parábola ==> palabra

Blockers and non-blockers

[a i u] > [ã ĩ ũ] / [ã ĩ ũ].*_{cons(nonblocker)}
pabãdruliga > pabãdrũlĩga

[i ɯ] > [y u] / {vowel([ö y o u])}.*_

pödi-podɯ-pedi > pödy-podu-pedi

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Flags

Flags are a way to modify how an individual rule is executed. They are placed at the very end of a rule following a |.

Reverse

Strict

Strict Reverse

S R F L percentage

Matching the right character

Escaping syntax character

Graphs

Combining diacritics

Invisible

Depending on your input, you may want some graphs to, for example ignoring stress markers and syllable boundaries.

invisible: \. ˈ
tt > dd
; at.ˈta ==> ad.ˈda

Do, Then and Else

Clusterfield

Cheatsheet

Symbol	Context	Example	Explanation
;	Anywhere	; This is a comment	Anything after the symbol is ignored until newline.
>