absolute regularity http://www.llaisdy.com/blog The dairy diary Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:20:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 en Closed; moving http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/11/16/closed-moving/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/11/16/closed-moving/#comments Sun, 16 Nov 2008 11:18:31 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/11/16/closed-moving/ This blog is now closed.

From now on I shall be posting at llaisdy.wordpress.com (better spam handling, stats; stops me obsessing about Wordpress vs Django). I shall also be sprucing up the most important posts from here and moving them over (e.g. posts on Welsh grammar, HTK, Android, etc.).

I don’t intend to delete this blog any time soon, and certainly not before I’ve translocated important material. Feel free to copy over anything you find useful, but please cite your source.

If/when I do decide to delete this blog, I shall leave a month’s notice here.

]]> http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/11/16/closed-moving/feed/ Nuance to team up with Nokia http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/10/15/nuance-to-team-up-with-nokia/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/10/15/nuance-to-team-up-with-nokia/#comments Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:07:34 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/10/15/nuance-to-team-up-with-nokia/ Press release from Nuance:

Nuance Signs Multi-Year Agreement with Nokia, Spanning Advanced Input Technologies and Open Development Framework

And related piece in SpeechTech magazine:

Nuance, Nokia Strike a Partnership Deal

MocoNews has an interesting piece about it:

Nokia Picks Nuance For Speech Recognition And More; Will Open Up Technologies To Developers

What will this all mean for Nuance’s speech technology input to Android? At the moment Android has no speech and there are no concrete plans to introduce it. It seems like Nuance is playing the field. Well, why not?

]]> http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/10/15/nuance-to-team-up-with-nokia/feed/ Nice phone, shame about the speech rec. http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/09/24/nice-phone-shame-about-the-speech-rec/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/09/24/nice-phone-shame-about-the-speech-rec/#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 08:17:20 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/09/24/nice-phone-shame-about-the-speech-rec/ T-Mobile have just launched the first Android phone, the G1, and Android have announced the “1.0″ release of the Android SDK.

Speech technology is conspicuously absent from the package index, and there’s no sign anywhere that it’ll be included anytime soon, or late.

]]> http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/09/24/nice-phone-shame-about-the-speech-rec/feed/ Brave New World http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/08/13/brave-new-world/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/08/13/brave-new-world/#comments Wed, 13 Aug 2008 09:32:29 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/08/13/brave-new-world/ After many years of devoted service, my main development machine (a Thinkpad A31p) has suddenly gone kaput. I have ordered my new machine which is an Apple MacBook Pro.

I’ve been saying to myself (and to anyone in earshot) that the next machine I buy would be a Mac. Last time I chickened out (and bought a Thinkpad X60s), but now I’ve finally taken the plunge. It’s in the post.

Not only am I moving from a PC-type laptop — with a three-button trackpoint — to a Mac — with a huge trackpad and only one button —, but I don’t intend to dual boot. My Thinkpads are Debian machines, but I’m telling myself that Mac OS X is Unix under the glitter and I shoudn’t need to dual boot with another Unix.

I’m telling myself all my old friends will be there: emacs, python, apache, latex. I’m telling myself that the absolute freedom of Debian involved me in a lot of sysadmin headaches I wasn’t at all interested in. I’m telling myself that lots of other Unix, Linux and BSD hackers have gone this way before me (and that by now I’m behind the times). I’m telling myself that I’ll enjoy submitting to the Mac OS X way.

It should arrive early next week.

]]> http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/08/13/brave-new-world/feed/ Ansoddeiriau cymariaethol http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/07/27/ansoddeiriau-cymariaethol/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/07/27/ansoddeiriau-cymariaethol/#comments Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:11:15 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/07/27/ansoddeiriau-cymariaethol/

Contents

Rhaglith

Mae pedwar fath o ansoddair cymariaethol: cysefin, cyfartal, cymharol, ac eithafol. Er enghraifft:

Mae’r ffurf gysefin y bôn neu’r ffurf gyffredinol (h.y., gwrywaidd). Defnyddir y ffurf gysefin i lunio’r ffurfiau eraill (h.y., cyfartal, cymharol, ac eithafol). Dydy ansoddeiriau cymariaethol dim yn derbyn terfyniadau am genedl neu rif.

Yn ogystal â defnyddio ansoddeiriau cymariaethol i gymharu pethau, gellir defnyddio cystrawennau ymadroddol: "mor <ans>+TM" am y cyfartal, a’r ffurf gymharol/eithafol "bach" neu "mawr" am y cymharol neu eithafol.

Ffurfiau cymariaethol

Ffurfiau rheolaidd

hy: there seems to be a kind of proto-comparative form which then receives various endings {cyf, cymh, eith} (224,5).

Dyma batrwm rheolaidd ansoddeiriau cymariaethol:





cysefin cyfartal cymharol eithafol
<ans> <ans>-ed <ans>-ach <ans>-af
cryf cryfed cryfach cryfaf

Er hynny, yn aml mae ‘bôn cymariaethol’, defnyddir yn ffurfiau cyfartal, cymharol, ac eithafol, sy’n wahanol o’r cysefin. Er enghraifft, mae sawl ansoddair colli llais ei gytsain olaf ([PWT], tud. 224):






cysefin bôn cymariaethol cyfartal cymharol eithafol
gwlyb gwlyp gwlyped gwlypach gwlypaf
tlawd tlot tloted tlotach tlotaf
budr butr butred butrach butraf
gwydn gwytn gwytned gwytnach gwytnaf
caredig caredic carediced caredicach caredicaf
trugarog trugaroc trugaroced trugarocach trugarocaf

Patrymau eraill o fôn cymariaethol:






cysefin bôn cymariaethol cyfartal cymharol eithafol
peraidd pereiddi pereiddied pereiddiach pereiddiaf

Ffurfiau afreolaidd

Mae’r rhan fwyaf o ffurfiau afreolaidd y cymariaethol yn defnyddio bôn cymariaethol sy’n wahanol o’r cysefin ([PWT], tud. 226-7). Mae’r ansoddeiriau hyn yn deffnyddio’r bôn syml (h.y., heb derfyniad) am y cymharol:






cys. bôn cym. cyf. eith. sylw
agos nes nesed nesaf  
bach llai lleied lleiaf 1
cynnar cynt cynted cyntaf  
hawdd haws hawsed hawsaf 2
hen hŷn hyned hynaf 3
ieuanc iau ieued ieuaf 1
ieueng ieuenged ieuengaf  
ifanc ifanced ifancaf  
isel is ised isaf  
uchel uwch uched uchaf 3

Sylwadau:

  1. Mae’r terfyniadau yn affeithio’r llafariad.
  1. Dydy "anodd" dim ond ffurf gryno ‘an-hawdd’, a’r ffurfiau cymariaethol yn dilyn: anos, anhawsed, anhawsaf.
  1. Mae’r terfyniadau yn achosi byrhau yn sillaf gyntaf.

Does dim ond pedwar ansoddair sy’n afreolaidd pellach:





cys. cyf. cym. eith.
da cystal gwell gorau
drwg cynddrwg gwaeth gwaethaf
hir cyhyd hwy hwyaf
mawr cymaint mwy mwyaf

Ansoddeiriau heb gysefin

Mae PWT yn disgrifio dau fath o ansoddair heb ffurf gysefin:

Ansoddeiriau diffygiol (PWT 4.113)



cymharol eithaf
amgen, amgenach —
— eithaf
hytrach —
trech trechaf

Ansoddeiriau deillir o enwau (PWT 4.114)





enw cyf. cym. eith.
rhaid rheitied rheitiach rheitiaf
gwerth cyfwerth    
nifer cynifer    
rhyw cyfryw    
ysgwydd cyfysgwydd    
ystyr cyfystyr    
dewis   dewisach  
elw   elwach  
lles   llesach  
rhagor   rhagorach  
blaen     blaenaf
diwedd     diweddaf
ôl     olaf
pen     pennaf

Sylwch fod ffurfiant y ffurfiau cymariaethol yn rheolaidd iawn.

Defnydd

Defnyddir y cyfartal yn y patrwm: "cyn" <cyfartal>+TM "â/ag" <enw>. Dw i ddim yn gwybod os oes lleoedd heb angen am "cyn". Er enghraifft, oes angen am "cyn" efo ansoddeiriau cyfartal sy’n dechrau efo "cy[f]"?

Defnyddir y cymharol yn y patrwm: <cym> "na/g" <enw>(+TLL).

Cymhariaeth ymadroddol

Yn yr iaith lafarol neu anffurfiol, defnyddir cymhariaeth ymadroddol, sef:

  • cyfartal: "mor" <ans. cysefin>+TM "â/ag" <enw>.
  • cymharol ac eithafol: ffurf gymharol neu eithafol "bach" neu "mawr" efo ansoddair cysefin "na/g" <enw>(+TLL).

Cyfeiriadau

[PWT] (1, 2) Gramadeg y Gymraeg, Peter Wyn Thomas, 1996, Caerdydd, Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru, isbn: 0-7083-1345-0.
]]> http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/07/27/ansoddeiriau-cymariaethol/feed/ Nokia Buys Symbian, forms Symbian Foundation http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/26/nokia-buys-symbian-forms-symbian-foundation/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/26/nokia-buys-symbian-forms-symbian-foundation/#comments Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:38:47 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/26/nokia-buys-symbian-forms-symbian-foundation/ News just in yesterday.

There’s a pie chart in yesterday’s FT showing smartphone operating system market share. Here it is again via Google’s Chart API.

Nokia intends to open source all of the Symbian code by 2010. This will include S60, UIQ, and MOAP.

Earlier this month the EU approved Nokia’s buying Trolltech (Reuters).

]]> http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/26/nokia-buys-symbian-forms-symbian-foundation/feed/ Chinese input methods for Emacs http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/24/chinese-input-methods-for-emacs/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/24/chinese-input-methods-for-emacs/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:01:06 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/24/chinese-input-methods-for-emacs/

Contents

Introduction

Emacs provides 25 input methods for Chinese. Although each input method has its own describe-input-method page, these pages can be rather terse. There is also no overview or comparison between the different input-methods, neither have I been able to find one on the web.

Here I have gathered together the information I’ve been able to find. I’d be pleased to hear about any errors I’ve made, and where I can find further information to correct my omissions. I’ll keep this page up-to-date.

I’m learning Mandarin Chinese, I’m interested in simplified script, and for the moment I find a pinyin-based approach to the written language easiest. For my own current requirements, chinese-tonepy is fitting the bill, but I’m interested in learning a structural input method (i.e., not based on pronunciation). See the Conclusion for further discussion.

(more…)

]]> http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/24/chinese-input-methods-for-emacs/feed/ Витас - Птица счастья http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/23/%d0%b2%d0%b8%d1%82%d0%b0%d1%81-%d0%bf%d1%82%d0%b8%d1%86%d0%b0-%d1%81%d1%87%d0%b0%d1%81%d1%82%d1%8c%d1%8f/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/23/%d0%b2%d0%b8%d1%82%d0%b0%d1%81-%d0%bf%d1%82%d0%b8%d1%86%d0%b0-%d1%81%d1%87%d0%b0%d1%81%d1%82%d1%8c%d1%8f/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:42:08 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/23/%d0%b2%d0%b8%d1%82%d0%b0%d1%81-%d0%bf%d1%82%d0%b8%d1%86%d0%b0-%d1%81%d1%87%d0%b0%d1%81%d1%82%d1%8c%d1%8f/ Another anthem. This one is as “Russian” as the other one was “French”.

Below are the Russian lyrics, with translations into Welsh, Chinese and English.

(more…)

]]> http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/23/%d0%b2%d0%b8%d1%82%d0%b0%d1%81-%d0%bf%d1%82%d0%b8%d1%86%d0%b0-%d1%81%d1%87%d0%b0%d1%81%d1%82%d1%8c%d1%8f/feed/ Blog envy http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/18/blog-envy/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/18/blog-envy/#comments Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:30:16 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/18/blog-envy/ My distro is Debian. My window manager is OpenBox. My editor is Emacs. My blog should look like this or that. And of course it should be based on Django, not Wordpress.

]]> http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/18/blog-envy/feed/ Ansoddeiriau Lluosog http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/14/ansoddeiriau-lluosog/ http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/14/ansoddeiriau-lluosog/#comments Sat, 14 Jun 2008 14:35:27 +0000 Ivan http://www.llaisdy.com/blog/2008/06/14/ansoddeiriau-lluosog/ Mae nifer o ansoddeiriau sy’n cytuno efo rhif eu henw. Gellir eu dosbarthu mewn dau fath: ansoddeiriau sy’n affeithio eu llafarog, ac ansoddeiriau sy’n ychwanegu terfyniad.

Ansoddeiriau sy’n affeithio eu llafarog

Dosbarth caeëdig yw hwn, efo naw ansoddair:





Newid Cyff. Lluosog Saesneg
a->ai amddifad amddifaid destitute
arall eraill other
bychan bychain little
cyfan cyfain whole
ifanc ifainc young
llydan llydain wide
truan truain wretch
a->y cadarn cedyrn firm
caled celyd hard

Sylwch: er bod prif gyfnewid yn y sillaf olaf, mae llafariad obennol yn cael ei haffeithio hefyd (h.y., arall -> eraill, cadarn -> cedyrn, caled -> celyd).

Ac eithrio ffurfiau lluosog celyd a chyfain, mae’r geiriau hyn yn eithaf cynhyrchiol (h.y., mewn 10,000 gair amlycaf GEG).

Ansoddeiriau sy’n ychwanegu terfyniad

Dosbarth efo nifer fawr o ansoddeiriau yw hyn. "-ion" yw’r terfyniad, gan gollir "i" ar ôl llafariad (e.e., duon, meddwon).

Dydy ansoddeiriau lluosog yn gynhyrchiol iawn : Mae 65 yng NghEG, dim ond saith yn y 3000 amlycaf:






Cyff. Lluosog Saesneg Amlder Safle
arall eraill other 1022 114
newydd newyddion new 135 926
ifanc ifainc young 101 1208
bychan bychain little 83 1435
du duon black 62 1810
mawr mawrion big 36 2856
glas gleision blue/green 35 2905

Yn aml, mae ansoddeiriau lluosog yn cael eu defnydd fel enwau, e.e., y newyddion, yr ifainc, ayb.

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