morphonym

morphonym - an RFC 1178 compliant implementation to generate pronounceable, memorable names. Offers both RFC 1178 compliant real-word themes and advanced linguistic syllable generation. Inspired by petname.

Features

RFC 1178 Compliance

• Real Word Themes: Nature, colors, mythology, scientific terms, animals
• Theme-Based Naming: Follows RFC 1178 guidance for meaningful names
• Non-Conflicting: Avoids common technical terms and personal names
• Memorable: Uses actual words that are easy to remember and spell

Petname Mode (RFC 1178 Classic)

• Classic Pattern: adjective + adverb + animal names
• Original petname Style: Replicates the famous petname library approach
• Flexible Word Count: 1-3 words with different patterns
• RFC 1178 Compliant: Uses animal names as suggested in the RFC

Advanced Linguistic Mode

• Phonetic Accuracy: Uses real phonotactic constraints and sonority sequencing
• Billions of Combinations: Generates unique, pronounceable names following natural language patterns
• Gender-Aware: Supports masculine, feminine, and neutral naming styles
• Customizable: Configurable word count, separators, and linguistic parameters

Linguistic Features

• Phonetic Inventory: Complete consonant and vowel sets with articulatory features
• Sonority Sequencing: Ensures natural sound flow (consonants rise to vowels, then fall)
• Phonotactic Constraints: Only allows consonant clusters that exist in real languages
• Stress Patterns: Natural rhythmic patterns (trochaic, iambic, dactylic)
• Word-Final Rules: Applies phonological rules like devoicing

CLI Options

• words: number of words in the name (default: 2)
• separator: string used to separate name words (default: '-')
• gender: gender style for name generation - masculine, feminine, neutral (default: neutral)
• mode: generation mode - linguistic (syllable-based), rfc1178 (real words), or petname
• theme: theme for RFC 1178 mode - nature, color, mythological, scientific, petname

Installation

git clone https://github.com/locch/morphonym.git
cd morphonym

# Using uv (recommended)
uv pip install -e .

# Or using pip
python3 -m pip install -e .

Usage

Command Line Interface

# RFC 1178 compliant (default mode)
morphonym -m rfc1178 -t nature
# Output: "mississippi-cedar"

# Different themes
morphonym -m rfc1178 -t color
# Output: "cobalt-amber"

morphonym -m rfc1178 -t mythological  
# Output: "hercules-athena"

morphonym -m rfc1178 -t scientific
# Output: "quantum-photon"

# Petname mode (classic style)
morphonym -m petname -w 1
# Output: "spider"

morphonym -m petname -w 2
# Output: "square-porpoise"

morphonym -m petname -w 3
# Output: "seriously-positive-moth"

# Advanced linguistic mode
morphonym -m linguistic
# Output: "kraidon-shoulei"

# Custom parameters
morphonym -w 3 -s "_" -m rfc1178 -t nature
# Output: "fox_baobab_elk"

# Gender-specific (linguistic mode only)
morphonym -g masculine -m linguistic
# Output: "kronan-thegor"

Python API

import morphonym

# RFC 1178 compliant (real words)
name = morphonym.generate(mode="rfc1178", theme="nature")
# Output: "mississippi-cedar"

# Different themes
color_name = morphonym.generate(mode="rfc1178", theme="color")
# Output: "cobalt-amber"

myth_name = morphonym.generate(mode="rfc1178", theme="mythological")
# Output: "hercules-athena"

sci_name = morphonym.generate(mode="rfc1178", theme="scientific")
# Output: "quantum-photon"

# Petname mode (classic style)
single_animal = morphonym.generate(1, mode="petname")
# Output: "spider"

adj_animal = morphonym.generate(2, mode="petname")
# Output: "square-porpoise"

adv_adj_animal = morphonym.generate(3, mode="petname")
# Output: "seriously-positive-moth"

# Advanced linguistic mode
name = morphonym.generate(mode="linguistic")
# Output: "kraidon-shoulei"

# Custom parameters
name = morphonym.generate(words=3, separator="_", mode="rfc1178", theme="nature")
# Output: "fox_baobab_elk"

# Gender-specific (linguistic mode)
feminine_name = morphonym.generate(mode="linguistic", gender="feminine")
# Output: "aelia-zorei"

masculine_name = morphonym.generate(mode="linguistic", gender="masculine") 
# Output: "kronan-thegor"

Use Cases

# Container names
container_name = morphonym.generate(1, gender="neutral")
# "zhothai"

# Hostnames
hostname = morphonym.generate(2, separator=".", gender="masculine") 
# "kronan.thegor"

# Project names
project_name = morphonym.generate(3, separator="_", gender="feminine")
# "aelia_zorei_mirei"

# Unique identifiers
unique_id = morphonym.generate(4, separator="")
# "zhothai kronanthegoraelia"

Linguistic Background

Morphonym uses principles from:

• Phonology: Study of sound systems in languages
• Phonotactics: Rules about which sounds can combine
• Sonority Theory: Hierarchical organization of sounds by loudness
• Morphology: Study of word formation patterns

The system ensures all generated names follow natural linguistic constraints, making them truly pronounceable and memorable.

Development

Running Tests

python3 -m pytest test.py -v

Code Quality

# Type checking
python3 -m mypy morphonym/

# Linting  
python3 -m ruff check morphonym/

# Formatting
python3 -m ruff format morphonym/

License

Apache License 2.0 - see LICENSE file for details.

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please ensure all tests pass and follow the linguistic accuracy principles when making changes.

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Generate billions of unique, pronounceable names with real linguistic accuracy.