Generate nicknames phonetically

gistfile1.rb

class NicknameGenerator
  # Grabbed phoneme and template list from http://www.flipcode.com/archives/misc/NameData.xml
  # Based on an idea presented on http://www.flipcode.com/archives/Generating_Names_Phonetically.shtml
  # by Jim Adams (jadams@copernus.com), 2000
  # (sr 2012-01-26)
  PHONEME_LIST = { # consonants
    :affricate        => %w{ch dg j},
    :alveolar         => %w{d l n r s t z},
    :bilabial         => %w{b m p},
    :bilabial_stop    => %w{b p},
    :complex          => %w{sch thr},
    :consonant        => %w{b c d f g h j k l m n p r s t v z},
    :double_consonant => %w{bb dd ff ll mm nn rr ss ss tt},
    :double_glide     => %w{wy},
    :ending_nasal     => %w{g ng r},
    :fricative        => %w{ch f ph s sh th v z},
    :glide            => %w{w y},
    :glottal          => %w{h},
    :liquid           => %w{l r},
    :mid_consonant    => %w{ct dr dw ft mk nd ndr nf nj nk ns nt ny pr ps rd rg rk rm rn rz sl st stl wl},
    :nasal            => %w{m n},
    :palatal          => %w{ch dg s j sh y},
    :orc_begin        => %w{gn gr hr k'z x z zr},
    :orc_begin2       => %w{gn gr hr k m n x z zh},
    :orc_middle       => %w{gh gl gzh rg rgh rgl rl rmg rng zg},
    :stop             => %w{b d g k p t},
    :velar            => %w{g k ng w},
    #  vowels
    :dipthong         => %w{ay ea ee ei oa oe ou ow oy y},
    :vowel            => %w{a e i o u},
    :double_vowel     => %w{ae au ea ey ie io oe oi oo ou ue ui ya yo},
    # misc
    :separator        => ["'", "-", " "]
  }

  NAME_TEMPLATES = {
    # 3+ letters:  V MC V [E.g., Erdi]
    "V MC V"                                => [ :vowel, :mid_consonant, :vowel ],

    # 3+ letters:  V MC DoubleVowel [E.g., Erdoo]
    "V MC VV"                               => [ :vowel, :mid_consonant, :double_vowel ],

    # 3+ letters:  Fricative Double :vowel , :nasal [E.g., Sean]
    "Fricative VV Nasal"                    => [ :fricative, :double_vowel, :nasal ],

    # 3+ letters:   :fricative Double :vowel  :consonant [E.g., Seaz]
    "Fricative VV C"                        => [ :fricative, :double_vowel, :consonant ],

    # 5 letters:  CVCVC [E.g., Seton]
    "CVCVC"                                 => [ :consonant, :vowel, :consonant, :vowel, :consonant ],

    # 3 letters:  VCV [E.g., Eti]
    "V C V"                                 => [ :vowel, :consonant, :vowel ],

    # 3+ letters:  V DC V [E.g., Etti]
    "V CC V"                                => [ :vowel, :double_consonant, :vowel ],

    # 5+ letters:  , :nasal V  :fricative V EndingGuttural [E.g., Masher]
    "Nasal V Fricative V Guttural"          => [ :nasal, :vowel, :fricative, :vowel, :ending_nasal ],

    # 5+ letters:   :fricative V DoubleGlide V Ending, :nasal [E.g., Sawyer]
    "Fricative V DoubleGlide V EndingNasal" => [ :fricative, :vowel, :double_glide, :vowel, :ending_nasal ],

    # 8+ letters:  [E.g., Gruph'Norgle]
    "Orcish"                                => [ :orc_begin, :vowel, :fricative, :separator, :orc_begin2, :vowel, :orc_middle, :vowel ]
  }

  def self.from_template( template_name )
    sequence = NAME_TEMPLATES[template_name]
    raise "Unknown nickname template name '#{template_name}'!" unless sequence
    
    name = ''
    sequence.each do |phoneme_type|
      name << PHONEME_LIST[phoneme_type].sample
    end

    return name.capitalize
  end

  def self.generate_purely_random
    template = NAME_TEMPLATES.keys.sample
    return from_template( template )
  end
end