Note: I sometimes use * as a wildcard in the IPA because some rules assume skipping a vowel : journal JOURBL (IPA ʒuʁnal), fournil FOURBL (IPA fuʁnil))
Note: I sometimes use ~ in IPA because some rules are relevant for all nasal vowels. If confused, ask me.
Note: I commented some rules with TODO:. It's not always things to do, but that allowed for a consistent way to add comments from me when a rule wasn't clear, or there is some thinking to do, etc.
We don't write the final "e" because it's silent. Examples: tasse TAS, passe PAS, casse KAS, sorte SORT, porte PORT, croûte KROUT, crise KRIZ.
The -S is also read R (IPA ʁ) to form the sound "tre" (like in the word "être").
The W key designates the initial V sound (IPA v)
The F key designates the final V soun (IPA v)
Vowel: Keys OE designate the "long O" sound (IPA o)
The K key designates the initial K sound (IPA k) for words beginning with a hard C, QU or K.
The L key designates the final L (IPA l).
The H key designates the hard H/aspirated H (TODO: are those actually the same?).
The B key designates the final B (IPA b) and the final open "ne" sound (IPA n) ("panne", "sonne", "van")
Vowel: Keys AO designate the "eu" sound (IPA ø and IPA œ) ("eux", "ceux", "heure", "seul", "creux", "veulent")
The G key designates the "gue" sound (IPA ɡ)
The D key designates the "de" sound (IPA d)
Vowel: Keys AEU designate the sound "è" (IPA ɛ) (raie, trait, caisse, selle, quête, est-ce)
The Z key designates the "ze" sound (IPA z) (rose, vase, prise, Rose, cerise)
Keys HR designate the initial L (IPA l)
Keys BG designate the final K (IPA k)
Vowel: Keys OU designate the sound "ou" (IPA u) (loupe, tout, sous, tour, clou)
Keys TK designate the initial D (IPA d)
Keys -FL designate the final L (IPA l)
Vowel: Keys AU designate the "ui" sound (IPA ɥi) (puis, cuit, celui, pluie), and the "long a" (IPA ɑ) (pâte, râpe)
Keys PW designate the initial B (IPA b)
Keys -PL designate the final M (IPA m)
Vowel: Keys AOEU designate the sound "ieu" (IPA jø) (vieux, yeux, lieu, curieux, Dieu)
Keys TP- designate the initial F (IPA f)
Keys -PB designate the final N (IPA n)
Vowel: Keys AE designate the sound "ié" (IPA je) (pied)
Vowel: Keys AE followed by a consonant designate the sound "iè" (IPA jɛ) (tiers TAER, hier HAER, pierre PAER, Pierre PA*ER)
Vowel: The R- key can also be read "i" (IPA i) in front of "a" or "o".
Keys PH- designate the initial M (IPA m)
Vowel: The OEU keys designate the "oi" sound (IPA wa)(roi ROI, bois BOI, loi LOI, boîte BOIT)
Vowel: The OEUN keys designate the "oin" sound (IPA wɛ̃)(soin SOIN, coin KOIN, poindre POINDZ)
Keys *N are used for the "on" ending (IPA ɔ̃) (Caron KAR/*N, melon M-L/*N)
The *S chord designates the "ste" sound (IPA st) (piste P*IS, poste PO*S, liste L*IS, kyste K*IS, pour cette PR*ES)
Keys TPH designate the initial N (IPA n)
Keys -BGS designate the final X (IPA ks)
Vowel: Keys AOU designate the "oui" sound (IPA wi) (oui AOU, Louis LAO*U)
Keys KWR designate the initial "y" sound (IPA j) (yacht YAT, hiatus YAT/US)
Key -G designates the soft j sound (IPA ʒ)(âge AUG, rage RAG, liège LAEG)
Keys -PBLG (J) designate the middle "dj" (IPA dʒ) and "bj" (IPA bʒ) sounds (objet OJ, objectait OJ/-S, adjoindre AJ/OINDZ)
Keys SKWR designate the initial J (IPA ʒ)
Keys SWR designate the initial Z (IPA z)
Keys TKPW designate the initial "gue" (IPA ɡ).
Keys KW designate the "qwe" (IPA kw) sound.
Keys AIB designate the "aine" sound (IPA ɛn)
Keys KP- designate the letter X in the "egz" sound (IPA ɡz)
Key W designates the initial "we" sound (IPA ɥ) (very rare in French).
The *Z chord, hit separately, designates words that end with the sound "a" (IPA a)
Keys SH designate the initial "che" sound (IPA ʃ).
Keys -FP designate the final "che" sound (IPA ʃ).
The *EL chord designates words ending in "el" (IPA ɛl).
Key B designates the final "ne" (IPA n).
The OIB chord designates the "oine" sound (IPA wan).
Keys AEN designate the "ien" sound (IPA jɛ̃).
Keys AEB designate the "ienne" sound (IPA jɛn).
Keys AOUB designate the sound "ouine" (IPA win).
Keys -GZ designate the sound "sion" (IPA zjɔ̃) and the sound "zon" (IPA zɔ̃)
Keys STPH (SN) designate the sound "sne" (IPA sn) (TODO: Isn't that just normal though? Does this need to be a rule?)
Keys -GS/*B or -GZ designate sounds "tionne" (IPA sjɔn) and "zionne" (IPA zjɔn)
Keys -GZ designate the sound "zion" (IPA sjɔ̃)
Keys AO designate the "io" diphtong (IPA jo, jɔ, jɔ̃).
The W- key (V-) designates the F sound (IPA f) after SD
Keys WHR- designate the sound "vle" (IPA vl) TODO: This seems like a natural combination, not a needed rule ?
Keys -FRB designate the "mbe" sound. (IPA ~b)
Keys -FRBL designate the "mble" sound. (IPA ~bl)
Keys -FRBS designate the "mbre" sound. (IPA ~bʁ)
Keys -FRPS designate the "mpre" sound. (IPA ~pʁ)
TODO: The next 5 might rather be orthographic suffixes, but they're written as sounds in the book
Keys -PBGS designate sounds "ntion" and "nction"
Keys *BGS designate the "ction" sound
Keys -PBGS/*B or -GZ designate sounds "ntionne" and "nctionne"
Keys -PBGS/-R designate the "ctionner" sound
Keys IGZ designate the "itionne" sound
TODO: The last 5 might rather be orthographic suffixes, but they're written as sounds in the book
Keys -TS designate sounds "tre" (IPA tʁ), "taire" (IPA tɛʁ) and "ture" (IPA tyʁ)
Keys *T designate the sound "ette" (IPA ɛt)
Keys A*IR designate words ending in "aire" (IPA ɛʁ).
Keys EBS designate the sound "éner" (IPA enɛʁ)(TODO: Not sure either if that's orthographic or phonetic)
Keys SW designate the "swe" sound (IPA sw)
Keys TW designate the "twe" sound (IPA tw)
Keys STW designate the "stwe" sound (IPA stw)
Keys DW designate the "dwe" and "dve" sounds (IPA dw and dv) TODO: Skipping a vowel too? (divorce DVORS)
Keys -FPL designate the "sme" sound (IPA sm)
Keys *-S designate final sound "ste" (IPA st)
Keys *-BGS designate final sound "xte" (IPA kst)
Vowel: Keys RA designate the "ia" diphtong (IPA ja)
Keys -FL designate sounds "val" (IPA val), "vail" (IPA vaj) and "vel" (IPA vɛl)
Vowel: Keys EU designate the "éu" diphtong (IPA ey)
Keys -PLT designate the sound "ment" (IPA mɑ̃).
Keys -FPLT designate the sound "vement" (IPA vmɑ̃).
Keys -RK designate the sound "cre" (IPA kʁ)
Keys -FRKS designate the sound "cre" (IPA ~kʁ)
Keys -FRBG designate the "nqu" sound (IPA ~k)
Keys -FRBLG designate the "nqul" sound (IPA ~kl)
Keys -FRLG designate the "ngl" sound (IPA ~gl)
Keys -NG designate the "ngue" (IPA ~g) sound.
Keys -PBLG designate the "nge" (IPA ~j) sound.
Keys -PG designate the "gne" (IPA ɲ) sound.
Keys -FR designate the "fre" and "vre" (IPA fʁ and vʁ) sounds.
Keys -FRB designate the "fer", "vaire" and "erve" (IPA fɛʁ, vɛʁ and ɛʁv) sounds.
Keys -FRPB designate the "rche" sound (IPA ʁʃ)
Keys -FRPBLG designate the "nche" sound (IPA ~ʃ)
Keys SRAGS designate the "ciation" sound (IPA sjasjɔ̃)
Vowel: Keys WA designate the sound "ua" (IPA ɥa)
Keys KWR- (Y) designate the sound "i" (IPA j) followed by a vowel in the body of a word.
Keys -LZ designate the sound "ille" (IPA ij)
Keys -RLZ designate the sound "reille" (IPA ʁɛj)
Keys -NL designate the "nl" and "nal" (IPA ~l and nal) sounds.
Keys -RBL designate the "rnl" sound (IPA ʁn*l)
Keys -PGS designate sound "ption" (IPA psjɔ̃)
Keys -LGTS designate "-t-elle", "-t-elles" and sound "tel" (IPA tɛl)
Key S- designates the "ps" sound (IPA ps)
Key N- also designates the "pn" sound (IPA pn)
Keys TH- designate the sounds "ten", "tén" (IPA tən, ten) TODO: Maybe tɛn or even t*n as well?
Keys VH- (WH-) designate the sounds "ven", "vén" (IPA vən, ven) TODO: Maybe vɛn or even v*n as well?
Keys KP- (X) designate sounds "exce" and "exci" (IPA ksɛ, kse, ksə, ksi)
Keys SK- designate words starting with sounds "ch" and "sh" (IPA ʃ, tʃ)
Chord A*EM designates the ending of words in "ième" (huitième AUT/A*EM, seizième SAIZ/A*EM)
The -R key is used in a separate chord to indicate an infinitive form of a first group verb (parler PARL/-R, suer SU/-R)
The -D key is used in a separate chord to indicate the final é of a "passé composé" (past tense) (parlé PARL/-D, sué SU/-D)
The R- chord designates the "re" prefix that will be attached to the following word: flux FLU, reflux R-/FLU
Keys AER designate the suffix "ier" (financier FINS/AER, voilier VOIL/AER, caissier K-S/AER)
Keys A*ER designate the suffix "ière" (financière FINS/A*ER, théière TE/A*ER, caissière K-S/A*ER)
The -S key in a separate chord designates the "ait" ending (past tense).
The -RS keys in a separate chord designate the "rait" ending (conditional).
The -G key in a separate chord designates the "ant" ending (orthographic, but IPA ɑ̃) (present participle) (courant KOUR/-G, riant RI/-G)
Keys -BLG designate the word "quel" (laquelle LABLG, de quel TK-BLG, lequel L-BLG, séquelle SEBLG)
Keys -RP designate the "peur" ending (trappeur, torpeur, rappeur)
Keys -RL designate the "leur" ending (voleur, malheur)
The *LG chord designates the "-là" particle (cette table-là, celui-là)
Keys *EZ are used for verbs ending in "ez" (trouverez TROUF/R*EZ, parlerez PARL/R*EZ)
The A*IB chord designates suffix "aine".
The *EB chord designates the "ène" suffix.
The W*E chord designates the "ué" and "oué" suffixes.
The W*EL chord designates the "uel" suffix.
The *RT or RT and *RTS or RTS chords designate words ending in "teur" and "trice".
The O*IB chord designates the "oine" orthographic suffix.
Keys A*EN designate the "ien" suffix.
Keys A*EB designate the "ienne" suffix.
Keys KH- designate the "mne" sound (TODO: this is a weird one, basically anything with an M and N sound, with a vowel inbetween).
Keys AE designate words beginning with "a" (IPA a).
Vowel: Keys AEN designate the sound "ian" (IPA jɑ̃).
Keys -NS designate words ending in "ance" or "ence" (IPA ɑ̃s).
Keys -ND designate words ending in "ande" (IPA ɑ̃d)
Keys -KT designate words ending in "cte" (IPA kt)
Keys -TS designate the "tre" (IPA tʁ) sound.
Keys -NTS designate the "ntre" sound (IPA ~tʁ) (TODO: IPA?).
Keys -RTS designate the «rtre» sound (IPA ʁtʁ).
Keys -DZ designate the «dre» sound (IPA dʁ).
Keys -NDZ designate the «ndre» sound (IPA ~dʁ).
Keys -RDZ designate the «rdre» sound (IPA ʁdʁ).
Keys -BS designate the «bre» sound (IPA bʁ).
Keys -RBS designate the «rbre» sound (IPA ʁbʁ).
Keys -PS designate the «pre» sound (IPA pʁ).
Keys -RPS designate the «rpre» sound (IPA ʁpʁ).
The K* chord designates the "com" prefix.
The KM- chord designates the "comm" prefix.
Keys -FBG designate the "fic" and "fec" sounds (IPA fik and fɛk)
Keys -GS are used for words ending in "ssion", "tion", "cial", "tial", "ciel" and "tiel"
Keys -GS designate words ending in "cien" and -GZ words ending in "cienne".
Keys -BGS (X) designate words ending in "cation".
Keys -FT designate words ending in "vité" and "cité".
Keys -RD designate words ending in "deur".
Keys -RG designate words ending in "gueur".
Keys -RN designate words ending in "neur".
Keys AO*R designate words ending in "eur".
The keys *IFL designate the "if" suffix.
The keys *IF designate the "ive" suffix.
Keys -RGS designate words ending in "rtion" or "ration"
Keys -LGTS designate "-t-elle".
The *L chord designates suffix "elle".
Keys -RB designate words ending in "cis" and "-ci"
Keys -RB also designate words ending in "rbe"
Keys -RB also designate words ending in "rne"
Keys KOEN designate words starting with "con".
Keys KOENS designate words starting with "cons".
Keys STPH- designate words starting with "conn".
When a word starts with "co" followed by two "r" or two "l", omit the "o" and write KR- or KL-
Keys TRANS designate words beginning with "trans"
Keys ITD designate words ending in "ité"
Keys -LT designate words ending in "ilité"
Keys -BT designate words ending in "bité"
Keys -BLT designate words ending in "bilité"
Keys -RL designate words ending in "ral"
Keys -BL designate words ending in "bal" and "ble"
Keys -RBL designate words ending in "rbal" and "rible"
Keys -RT designate words ending in "rité"
Keys -GS within the body of a word designate the sound "gr" (IPA gʁ)
Keys -BS within the body of a word designate the sound "bre" (IPA bʁ)
Keys -FRS designate words ending in "voir"
Keys DAOEZ designate words starting with "dés" when they're not immediately followed by a vowel on the keyboard.
Keys -GT at the end of a word designate "th" TODO: As an orthographic ending I guess, to differentiate from -T ending words. "maintenant" MIT or "mythe" MIGT.
Keys LO*EG designate words ending in "logue".
Keys LO*IG designate words ending in "logie".
Keys LO*IS designate words ending in "logiste".
Keys LO*IK designate words ending in "logique".
Keys -LGS designate words ending in "lation".
Keys O*EX designate plurals in "aux".
Keys ST*E designate words ending in "sité"
Keys WH- designate words starting with "fin" and "fen".
Keys -LGTS designate "-t-elle", "-t-elles" and sound "tel" (IPA tɛl)
The -BGS (-X) chord designates words that start with "ex" followed by a consonant.
The AIBGS (AIX) chord designates the "ex-" prefix.
Keys STK- designate words beginning with "dé".
Keys EG designate words ending with "igé"
Keys *EG designate words ending with "iger"
Keys -LZ designate words ending in "lise"
Keys -BLZ designate words ending in "bilise"
Keys -RLZ designate words ending in "ralise"
Keys KPW- designate words beginning with a vowel followed by "mp" or "mb"
Keys -SZ designate words ending in "ce" (to distinguish homonyms)
Keys TPH- designates words starting with "in" followed by a vowel.
Keys STPH- designate words beginning with "ins" and "ens" followed by vowel.
Keys -FK designate words ending in "sque".
Keys -TS designate words ending in "ture"
Keys HO*N designate words ending in "gnon"
The star in a chord is used to distinguish verbs and nouns that are homophones. Starred chords are verbs. (TODO: Verify that. Is it always the case? The examples in this particular lesson aren't very telling.)
The star is used for capitalised nouns ("Rose" vs "rose", "Fleur" vs "fleur"...).
The number bar works exactly like Plover theory
The star is used to cancel the last chord in case of a mistake
The middle "i" can be omitted in several words (édifice DWIS, rapide RAPD, formidable FORM/DABL)
To speed things up, it is possible to do groupings while inverting -Z (sa), OZ (son), EZ (ses), ESZ (ces).
The AI keys in a separate chord are used to distinguish between first group verbs in the past tense and homophones (tirait TIR/S, tiret TIR/AI, filait FIL/-S, filet FIL/AI)
We don't write the "e" in the body of a word (relevé R-L/VE, degré D-G/R*E)
When "ré" is a suffix, we add a star
"s'est" is written *Z in groupings (elle s'est L*Z)
Key H designates the "n" in a negation (ne H-, n'est pas HEPS, ni HI, ne le H-L, n'est plus HEP)
The Y is used to represent the pronoun "il" (il a YA, il est Y-Z, il a les YALS, il a été YAET)
When a proper noun is ended with the letter "Y", write AO*E in a separate chord.
When a word ends in "ette", write *T in a separate chord.
When a consonant is doubled, it is possible to skip a stroke (TODO: What?)
To avoid moving hands to get to the numbers bar, numbers can all be written phonetically.
When "100" isn't multiplied, write SUN. Otherwise, write S-N for when you hear "cent" (IPA sɑ̃)(100).
When "mille" (1000) isn't multiplied, write PHRIL. When "mille" is multiplied and followed by three zeros, write WR-RB.
TODO: Fingerspelling and punctuation is different than it is in Plover theory, and explained in lesson 20 of the book. Maybe see if we can't use Plover theory for those?
The -FRBGS chord is used to remove spaces before and after a comma.
The -RPBGS chord is used to remove spaces before and after a period.
Key -G is used for the "en" preposition in groupings.
Keys KOEN designate the "con" prefix
Keys STK (SD) designate words beginning with "dés" and "déc" when followed with a vowel. TODO: This is maybe phonetic. It should be with "déc", "déc", "déç", "dec", "des", maybe "det" in some cases
Keys DAOE designate words starting with "dé" (see lesson 56) TODO: This might be phonetic as well. Inspect examples and lesson 56.
It is possible to eliminate an S when it's immediately followed by a consonant.
When two consonnants ending a word are in the reverse order relative to the keyboard, we either reverse the order of those letters, or we write the last consonant on the right hand.
The -FR chord in front of -BGS (X) becomes an "n".
The word "ça" can be written in two ways: SHA and -SZ TODO: Used in groupings like "c'est ça" S-SZ or "ça va" SHAFZ
The -D key/chord designates past participles. TODO: This might be a hard one, those take different forms.
The "s" in front of a "c" or a "p" can be omitted.
Key -G designates the word "en" (in groupings like "on en" OG, "t'en" T-G, "elle en" L-G)
Key * is used to distinguish endings in "ou" ("mate ou" MAT/OU, "matou" MAT/O*U, "cour ou" KOUR/OU, "courroux" KOUR/O*U)
Key * is used to distinguish nouns from names (or common nouns from proper nouns)
The *UT code is used in the interrogative form ("Parles-tu", "fais-tu", etc)
The -Z, when hit alone, means "est" ("il est")
The H- key can be used for "il" when there are groupings.
Keys KP (X) also designate "que ce". (Briefs)
Keys KWA designate "il y a"
Keys SWA designate "s'il a"
Keys SKWA designate "s'il y a"
Keys SKWHR designate "je le"
Keys STK (SD) designate the word "des".
- Keys
EFSindicate the "ez-vous" ending (second person plural, present tense, interrogative form). TODO: This might just be natural, as the simple combination of the soundEand-FSbeing "vous" - Keys
AEFSindicate the "iez-vous" ending (second person plural, past tense, interrogative form) TODO: This might just be natural, as the simple combination of the soundAEand-FSbeing "vous"
-
While
-Sin a separate chord indicates the "ait" ending for the past tense, third person singular, I didn't see a way to write "ais" (same tense, second person singular).-SZcould work, but barring any conflicts I think it would make more sense to use-Tfor "ait" and-Sfor "ais".-NScould also be use for "aient" (which has no phonetic difference). "ai" is another one, which could simply beAOE, since that's the stroke for that sound to begin with. Looking at the book, lesson 32, conjugations of "être" and "pouvoir", the theory seems to rely on grouping verbs with their pronouns to deduce verb endings: "j'étais"JETS, "il était"YETS. This would make the dictionary much bigger because it would require every verb to exist with the pronouns in the conjugated form. -
While
-Dis used to indicate a past participle, there's no way (in the book at least) to "match it" (don't know the actual word) with the subject. "allé" would beALD, but there's no way to write "allés" (plural), "allée" (fem.) or "allées" (fem. plural). Since theEkey isn't used for past principles, "allée" could beALED, "allés"ALSDand "allées"ALESD. It's all a bit backwards relative to the steno order but using those as rules could make sense.