Creating a Comparative Dictionary of Totonac-Tepehua
We apply algorithms for the identification of cognates and
recurrent sound correspondences proposed by Kondrak (2002)
to the Totonac-Tepehua family of indigenous languages in Mexico.
We show that by combining expert linguistic knowledge with computational
analysis,
it is possible to quickly identify a large number of cognate sets
within the family.
Our objective is to provide tools for rapid construction
of comparative dictionaries for
relatively unfamiliar language families.