Phono:  Version 4.1 now ready for beta-testing!

    Phono is a linguistic software tool for designing and testing models of regular historical sound change (diachronic phonology).  Version 4.1-VB (for Windows, written in Visual Basic) is now in the beta-testing stage.  

    Output is displayed in a phonetic font, SILManuscriptIPA, a copyrighted product of SIL International (www.sil.org), ©1993, used with permission. 

    Phono is bundled with three models: 

"span6":  a model for Latin-to-Spanish, with 105 diachronic rules.   

"igpay":  a model for English-to-Pig Latin (children's "secret" language) with 2 rules.    

"laws":  not functionally a model, but rather a library of 78 sound-change rules, from Aitken's Law to Winter's Law, and referring to languages from Anglo-Frisian to Winnebago, which can be copied into other models and modified.

    If you would like to try out the program, and are willing to provide feedback, you can download it from this site.  Phono is open-source freeware.  You will need Winzip, Extraction Wizard, or a similar utility to unpack it.  

    To download the source code, click here.       

    Please report any bugs or difficulties you encounter in the program.  Your other suggestions for its improvement are also welcome.

    Note that Phono is being actively developed.  Check the "last modified" date below to be sure you have the latest version. 

---

Last modified June 12, 2005

Lee Hartman
Emeritus, Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures
Southern Illinois University—Carbondale

Mail to...
1442 E. Gary Dr.
Carbondale, IL 62902
U.S.A.

E-mail to:  Lhartman (at) siu (dot) edu