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Summary

The purpose of this library is to deal with multiple representations of a polytonic greek string, namely beta code, polytonic greek & transliterated — or romanized.

The library tries to be as simple and flexible as possible. It provides both conversion presets that follow some of the main institutional guidelines and an access to the underlying conversion parameters to provide a granular control over the conversion process.

Conversion presets

The library provides a number of presets that follow some of the main conversion standards. Find below the details for each defined preset, its potential limitations and conversion examples.

Beta code

Note

Only a subset of the large Thesaurus Linguae Graecae character set (1000+), including the Greek Alphabet and parts of Additional Punctuation and Characters & Additional Characters sections, is implemented (see the conversion chart).

Modern beta code

Use Description Reference

Preset.MODERN_BC

greek-conversion's own modernized beta code defines a beta code flavor that aims to be easier to write than the canonical one.

See below

// Corresponding `IConversionOptions`

{ additionalChars: AdditionalChar.ALL }

// Example

toGreek(
  'E)kei=nai me\\n dh\\ fusikh=s meta\\ kinh/sews ga/r, ' +
  'au(/th de\\ e(te/ras, ei) mhdemi/a au)toi=s a)rxh\\ koinh/.',
  KeyType.BETA_CODE, Preset.MODERN_BC
)

// Outputs: Ἐκεῖναι μὲν δὴ φυσικῆς μετὰ κινήσεως γάρ,
// αὕτη δὲ ἑτέρας, εἰ μηδεμία αὐτοῖς ἀρχὴ κοινή.

Reference

This beta code flavor follows essentially the guidelines defined by the Thesaurus Linguae Graecae, with these restrictions:

only capital letters are written in capitals (adding an asterisk before a capital letter becomes unnecessary);
diacritical marks are always placed after the letter that carries them.

TLG

Use Description Reference

Preset.TLG

Thesaurus Linguae Graecae

https://stephanus.tlg.uci.edu/encoding/quickbeta.pdf

// Corresponding `IConversionOptions`

{
  betaCodeStyle: {
    useTLGStyle: true
  },
  additionalChars: AdditionalChar.ALL
}

// Example

toGreek(
  '*)EKEI=NAI MEDH FUSIKH=S META KINH/SEWS GA/R, ' +
  'AU(/TH DE E(TE/RAS, EI) MHDEMI/A AU)TOI=S A)RXH KOINH/.',
  KeyType.BETA_CODE, Preset.TLG
)

// Outputs: Ἐκεῖναι μὲν δὴ φυσικῆς μετὰ κινήσεως γάρ,
// αὕτη δὲ ἑτέρας, εἰ μηδεμία αὐτοῖς ἀρχὴ κοινή.

Transliteration

ALA-LC

Tip

See ALA-LC (modern) for modern Greek.

Note

The current implementation doesn't:

support rules that are not governed by a predictable law:
1. add transliterated rough breathings on vowels if they're not explicitly indicated (such as in all caps strings);
2. remove iota adscript occurrences (generally undifferentiated from the 'Greek Small Letter Iota');
transliterate greek numerals (planned for v0.15 - see #5).

Use Description (scope) Reference

Preset.ALA_LC

American Library Association – Library of Congress (Ancient and Medieval Greek)

https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/romanization/greek.pdf

// Corresponding `IConversionOptions`

{
  removeDiacritics: true,
  transliterationStyle: {
    rho_rh: true,
    upsilon_y: true,
    lunatesigma_s: true
  },
  additionalChars: [
    AdditionalChar.DIGAMMA,
    AdditionalChar.ARCHAIC_KOPPA,
    AdditionalChar.LUNATE_SIGMA
  ]
}

// Example

toTransliteration(
  'Ὧν ἡ σοφία παρασκευάζεται εἰς τὴν τοῦ ὅλου βίου ' +
  'μακαριότητα πολὺ μέγιστόν ἐστιν ἡ τῆς φιλίας κτῆσις.',
  KeyType.GREEK, Preset.ALA_LC
)

// Outputs: Hōn hē sophia paraskeuazetai eis tēn tou holou biou
// makariotēta poly megiston estin hē tēs philias ktēsis.

toTransliteration(
  'ἄλαϲτα δὲ ϝέργα πάθον κακὰ μηϲαμένοι',
  KeyType.GREEK, Preset.ALA_LC
)

// Outputs: alasta de werga pathon kaka mēsamenoi

ALA-LC (modern)

Upcoming (planned for v0.14).

BNF

Tip

You should use the ISO 843 (1997) preset for modern Greek.

Important

This implementation uses the alternative forms for Ancient Greek (see reference, rule 2. n. 1). While the reference defines an 'ISO form' and a 'reference form', this implementation returns a unique form.

Note

The current implementation doesn't support rules numbered 4.1.1., 4.1.2., 4.3. n. 4 & 7.

Use Description (scope) Reference

Preset.BNF

Bibliothèque nationale de France — adapted from the ISO 843 (1997) standard with particular attention to special cases. (Ancient Greek)

https://kitcat.bnf.fr/consignes-catalogage/translitteration-du-grec

// Corresponding `IConversionOptions`

{
  greekStyle: {
    useGreekQuestionMark: true
  },
  transliterationStyle: {
    upsilon_y: Preset.ISO
  },
  additionalChars: [
    AdditionalChar.DIGAMMA,
    AdditionalChar.YOT,
    AdditionalChar.LUNATE_SIGMA,
    AdditionalChar.STIGMA,
    AdditionalChar.KOPPA,
    AdditionalChar.SAMPI
  ]
}

// Example

toTransliteration(
  'Ὧν ἡ σοφία παρασκευάζεται εἰς τὴν τοῦ ὅλου βίου ' +
  'μακαριότητα πολὺ μέγιστόν ἐστιν ἡ τῆς φιλίας κτῆσις.',
  KeyType.GREEK, Preset.BNF
)

// Outputs: Hō̃n hē sophía paraskeuázetai eis tḕn toũ hólou bíou
// makariótēta polỳ mégistón estin hē tē̃s philías ktē̃sis.

toTransliteration(
  'ἄλαϲτα δὲ ϝέργα πάθον κακὰ μηϲαμένοι',
  KeyType.GREEK, Preset.BNF
)

// Outputs: álacta dè wérga páthon kakà mēcaménoi

ISO 843 (1997)

Use Description (scope)

Preset.ISO

ISO 843 (1997) — Type 1 (transliteration) (Ancient and Modern Greek)

// Corresponding `IConversionOptions`

{
  transliterationStyle: {
    setCoronisStyle: Coronis.APOSTROPHE,
    beta_v: true,
    eta_i: true,
    phi_f: true,
    upsilon_y: Preset.ISO,
    lunatesigma_s: true
  },
  additionalChars: [
    AdditionalChar.DIGAMMA,
    AdditionalChar.YOT,
    AdditionalChar.LUNATE_SIGMA
  ]
}

// Example

toTransliteration(
  'Ὧν ἡ σοφία παρασκευάζεται εἰς τὴν τοῦ ὅλου βίου ' +
  'μακαριότητα πολὺ μέγιστόν ἐστιν ἡ τῆς φιλίας κτῆσις.',
  KeyType.GREEK, Preset.ISO
)

// Outputs: Hō̃n hī sofía paraskeuázetai eis tī̀n toũ hólou víou
// makariótīta polỳ mégistón estin hī tī̃s filías ktī̃sis.

toTransliteration(
  'ἄλαϲτα δὲ ϝέργα πάθον κακὰ μηϲαμένοι',
  KeyType.GREEK, Preset.ISO
)

// Outputs: álasta dè wérga páthon kakà mīsaménoi

SBL

Use Description Reference

Preset.SBL

Society of Biblical Literature (Ancient Greek)

https://archive.org/details/sblhandbookofsty0000unse_g7i4/

// Corresponding `IConversionOptions`

{
  removeDiacritics: true,
  transliterationStyle: {
    rho_rh: true,
    upsilon_y: true
  }
}

// Example

toTransliteration(
  'Ὧν ἡ σοφία παρασκευάζεται εἰς τὴν τοῦ ὅλου βίου ' +
  'μακαριότητα πολὺ μέγιστόν ἐστιν ἡ τῆς φιλίας κτῆσις.',
  KeyType.GREEK, Preset.SBL
)

// Outputs: Hōn hē sophia paraskeuazetai eis tēn tou holou biou
// makariotēta poly megiston estin hē tēs philias ktēsis.

toTransliteration(
  'ἄλαϲτα δὲ ϝέργα πάθον κακὰ μηϲαμένοι',
  KeyType.GREEK, Preset.SBL
)

// Outputs: alaϲta de ϝerga pathon kaka mēϲamenoi

Conversion options

Find below the expected behavior for each conversion option.

`removeDiacritics`

boolean Removes diacritical marks according to input type.

const style = { removeDiacritics: true }

toGreek('anthrōpos', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ανθρωπος
toTransliteration('εὐδαίμων', KeyType.GREEK, style) // eudaimōn

`removeExtraWhitespace`

boolean Removes multiple spaces, multiple line breaks et cætera.

const style = { removeExtraWhitespace: true }
toGreek('ICHTHUS     ZŌNTŌN', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ἸΧΘΥΣ ΖΩΝΤΩΝ

`betaCodeStyle`

`useTLGStyle`

Tip

To input Thesaurus Linguae Graecae beta code, you must use the KeyType value TLG_BETA_CODE.
e. g. toGreek('*QOUKUDI/DHS', KeyType.TLG_BETA_CODE) // Θουκυδίδης

boolean Outputs Thesaurus Linguae Graecae beta code (Preset.TLG is a shortcut for this).

const style = { betaCodeStyle: { useTLGStyle: true } }

toBetaCode('Sōkrátēs', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // *SWKRA/THS
toBetaCode('O(pli/ths', KeyType.BETA_CODE, style) // *(OPLI/THS

`greekStyle`

`disableBetaVariant`

boolean Disables the typographic variant 'ϐ' [U+03D0] which is employed in some high-quality typesetting.

const style = { greekStyle: { disableBetaVariant: true } }
toGreek('βιϐλίον', KeyType.GREEK, style) // βιβλίον

`useGreekQuestionMark`

boolean Outputs greek question marks ';' [U+037E] rather than regular semicolons.

const style = { greekStyle: { useGreekQuestionMark: true } }
toGreek('poũ?', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ποῦ; (U+037E)

`useLunateSigma`

Warning

This option applies to regular sigmas. So, if you need to accept the entry of lunate sigmas, enable option additionalChars with value AdditionalChar.LUNATE_SIGMA.

boolean Outputs lunate sigmas 'ϲ, Ϲ' rather than regular sigmas.

const style = { greekStyle: { useLunateSigma: true } }

toGreek('hágios', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ἅγιοϲ
toGreek('ἅγιος', KeyType.GREEK, style) // ἅγιοϲ

// Illustration of the warning above

toGreek('a(/gios3', KeyType.BETA_CODE, style) // ✗ ἅγιοϲ3
toGreek('a(/gios3', KeyType.BETA_CODE, { additionalChars: AdditionalChar.LUNATE_SIGMA }) // ✓ ἅγιοϲ

`transliterationStyle`

`setCoronisStyle`

Coronis (defaults to: Coronis.PSILI) Takes a Coronis enum whose values are PSILI | APOSTOPHE | NO.

const apostrophe = { transliterationStyle: { setCoronisStyle: Coronis.APOSTROPHE } }
const disableCoronis = { transliterationStyle: { setCoronisStyle: Coronis.NO } }

toTransliteration('κἀγώ', KeyType.GREEK) // ka̓gṓ
toTransliteration('κἀγώ', KeyType.GREEK, apostrophe) // ka’gṓ
toTransliteration('κἀγώ', KeyType.GREEK, disableCoronis) // kagṓ

`useCxOverMacron`

Warning

This option also affects the input. So, if you convert a transliterated string to another representation, you must either write using the rule described below, or perform a self-conversion first.

boolean Alters the mapping so that letters with a macron (like long vowels eta and omega) are written with a circumflex.

const style = { transliterationStyle: { useCxOverMacron: true } }

toTransliteration('Ὁπλίτης', KeyType.GREEK, style) // Hoplítês
toTransliteration('Hoplítēs', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // Hoplítês

// Illustration of the warning above

toGreek('Hoplítēs', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ✗ Ὁπλίτε̄ς
toGreek('Hoplítês', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ✓ Ὁπλίτης
toGreek(toTransliteration('Hoplítēs', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style), KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ✓ Ὁπλίτης

`beta_v`, `eta_i`, `xi_ks`, `phi_f`, `chi_kh`, `upsilon_y`, `lunatesigma_s`

Warning

This option also affects the input. So, if you convert a transliterated string to another representation, you must either write using the rule described below, or perform a self-conversion first.

boolean Alters the mapping so that letters named in the left side of the option (beta, eta, etc) match the value given in the right side ('v', 'i', etc).

const style = { transliterationStyle: { beta_v: true } }

toTransliteration('βαρϐαρός', KeyType.GREEK, style) // varvarós
toTransliteration('barbarós', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // varvarós

// Illustration of the warning above

toGreek('barbarós', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ✗ bαρbαρός
toGreek('varvarós', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ✓ βαρϐαρός
toGreek(toTransliteration('barbarós', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style), KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // ✓ βαρϐαρός

`rho_rh`

boolean Always outputs 'rh' for a rho at the beginning of a word or 'rrh' for a double rho.

const style = { transliterationStyle: { rho_rh: true } }

toTransliteration('*RO/DOS', KeyType.TLG_BETA_CODE, style) // Rhódos
toTransliteration('polúrrizos', KeyType.TRANSLITERATION, style) // polúrrhizos

`additionalChars`

Note

See the additional characters section below for the list of additional characters.

AdditionalChar[] | AdditionalChar Extends the default mapping with additional characters from the AdditionalChar enum. Use AdditionalChar.ALL to enable the whole set.

toGreek('A(/GIOS3', KeyType.BETA_CODE, {
  additionalChars: AdditionalChar.LUNATE_SIGMA
}) // ἍΓΙΟϹ

toBetaCode('βασιληϝος, διϳος', KeyType.GREEK, {
  additionalChars: [AdditionalChar.DIGAMMA, AdditionalChar.YOT]
}) // basilhvos, diϳos

toTransliteration('ϛ, ϟ, ϡ', KeyType.GREEK, {
  additionalChars: AdditionalChar.ALL
}) // c̄, q, s̄

Conversion chart

Find below the conversion chart for each available representation of a polytonic greek string:

Default characters

Label	Greek	Beta code	Transliteration	Modified translit. (enabled option)
Alpha	`Α` `a`	`A` `a`	`A` `a`
Beta	`Β` `b`	`B` `b`	`B` `b`	`V` `v` `(beta_v)`
Gamma	`Γ` `γ`	`G` `g`	`G` `g`
Delta	`Δ` `δ`	`D` `d`	`D` `d`
Epsilon	`Ε` `ε`	`E` `e`	`E` `e`
Zeta	`Ζ` `ζ`	`Z` `z`	`Z` `z`
Eta	`Η` `η`	`H` `h`	`Ē` `ē`	`Ī` `ī` `(eta_i)` `Ê/Î` `ê/î` `(useCxOverMacron)`
Theta	`Θ` `θ`	`Q` `q`	`Th` `th`
Iota	`Ι` `ι`	`I` `i`	`I` `i`
Kappa	`Κ` `κ`	`K` `k`	`K` `k`
Lambda	`Λ` `λ`	`L` `l`	`L` `l`
Mu	`Μ` `μ`	`M` `m`	`M` `m`
Nu	`Ν` `ν`	`N` `n`	`N` `n`
Xi	`Ξ` `ξ`	`C` `c`	`X` `x`	`Ks` `ks` `(xi_ks)`
Omicron	`Ο` `ο`	`O` `o`	`O` `o`
Pi	`Π` `π`	`P` `p`	`P` `p`
Rho	`Ρ` `ρ`	`R` `r`	`R(h)` `r(h)`
Sigma	`Σ` `σ/ϛ`	`S` `s`	`S` `s`
Tau	`Τ` `τ`	`T` `t`	`T` `t`
Upsilon	`Υ` `υ`	`U` `u`	`U` `u`	`Y` `y` `(upsilon_y)`[^1]
Phi	`Φ` `φ`	`F` `f`	`Ph` `ph`	`F` `f` `(phi_f)`
Chi	`Χ` `χ`	`X` `x`	`Ch` `ch`	`Kh` `kh` `(chi_kh)`
Psi	`Ψ` `ψ`	`Y` `y`	`Ps` `ps`
Omega	`Ω` `ω`	`W` `w`	`Ō` `ō`	`Ô` `ô` `(useCxOverMacron)`
Question mark	`U+037E ;`	`;`	`?`
Ano teleia	`U+0387 ·`	`:`	`;`
Smooth breathing	`U+0313 ◌̓`	`)`	[^2]
Rough breathing	`U+0314 ◌̔`	`(`	`H h`
Acute accent ('oxia'/'tonos')	`U+0301 ◌́`	`/`	`U+0301 ◌́`
Perispomenon	`U+0342 ◌͂`	`=`	`U+0303 ◌̃`
Grave accent ('varia')	`U+0300 ◌̀`	`\`	`U+0300 ◌̀`
Diaeresis	`U+0308 ◌̈`	`+`	`U+0308 ◌̈`
Iota subscript	`U+0345 ◌ͅ`	`\|`	`U+0327 ◌̧`
Dot below	`U+0323 ◌̣`	`?`	`U+0323 ◌̣`
Macron	`U+0304 ◌̄`	`%26`	`U+0304 ◌̄`
Breve	`U+0306 ◌̆`	`%27`	`U+0306 ◌̆`

[^1]: Diphthongs are transliterated U u.

[^2]: Coronides are transliterated U+0313 ◌̓.

Additional characters

Note

See the additionalChars section above for the use of additional characters.

Label (`AdditionalChar`)	Greek	Beta code	Transliteration	Modified translit. (enabled option)
Digamma (`DIGAMMA`)	`Ϝ` `ϝ`	`V` `v`	`W` `w`
Yot (`YOT`)	`Ϳ` `ϳ`	`J` `j`	`J` `j`
Lunate sigma (`LUNATE_SIGMA`)	`Ϲ` `ϲ`	`S3` `s3`	`C` `c`	`S` `s` `(lunatesigma_s)`
Stigma (`STIGMA`)	`Ϛ` `ϛ`	`*#2` `#2`	`C̄` `c̄`	`Ĉ` `ĉ` `(useCxOverMacron)`
Koppa (`KOPPA`)	`Ϟ` `ϟ`	`*#1` `#1`	`Q` `q`
Archaic koppa (`ARCHAIC_KOPPA`)	`Ϙ` `ϙ`	`*#3` `#3`	`Ḳ` `ḳ`
Sampi (`SAMPI`)	`Ϡ` `ϡ`	`*#5` `#5`	`S̄` `s̄`	`Ŝ` `ŝ` `(useCxOverMacron)`

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Home

Summary

Conversion presets

Beta code

Modern beta code

Reference

TLG

Transliteration

ALA-LC

ALA-LC (modern)

BNF

ISO 843 (1997)

SBL

Conversion options

`removeDiacritics`

`removeExtraWhitespace`

`betaCodeStyle`

`useTLGStyle`

`greekStyle`

`disableBetaVariant`

`useGreekQuestionMark`

`useLunateSigma`

`transliterationStyle`

`setCoronisStyle`

`useCxOverMacron`

`beta_v`, `eta_i`, `xi_ks`, `phi_f`, `chi_kh`, `upsilon_y`, `lunatesigma_s`

`rho_rh`

`additionalChars`

Conversion chart

Default characters

Additional characters

Clone this wiki locally

Home

Summary

Conversion presets

Beta code

Modern beta code

Reference

TLG

Transliteration

ALA-LC

ALA-LC (modern)

BNF

ISO 843 (1997)

SBL

Conversion options

removeDiacritics

removeExtraWhitespace

betaCodeStyle

useTLGStyle

greekStyle

disableBetaVariant

useGreekQuestionMark

useLunateSigma

transliterationStyle

setCoronisStyle

useCxOverMacron

beta_v, eta_i, xi_ks, phi_f, chi_kh, upsilon_y, lunatesigma_s

rho_rh

additionalChars

Conversion chart

Default characters

Additional characters

Clone this wiki locally

`removeDiacritics`

`removeExtraWhitespace`

`betaCodeStyle`

`useTLGStyle`

`greekStyle`

`disableBetaVariant`

`useGreekQuestionMark`

`useLunateSigma`

`transliterationStyle`

`setCoronisStyle`

`useCxOverMacron`

`beta_v`, `eta_i`, `xi_ks`, `phi_f`, `chi_kh`, `upsilon_y`, `lunatesigma_s`

`rho_rh`

`additionalChars`