16. A process according to claim 15 in which each said converting step further comprises sequential steps selected from the sequential steps of (i) converting to an alpha set "w", an alpha set "wh" which is followed immediately by any one of the characters "e", "i", "a", and "y", (ii) converting to an alpha set "kh", an alpha set "tch", (iii) converting to an alpha set "kh", an alpha set "tu" which (a) is followed by a single occurrence of any one of the characters "r", "n", "m", and "l" which, in turn, is followed by any one of the characters "e", "a", "i", "o", and "y", and (b) does not begin in character position one or in character position two of the word, (iv) converting to an alpha set "kho", an alpha set which (a) consists of a character sequence "tu" followed by any one of the characters "o", "a", and "e", and (b) which does not begin in character position one or character position two of the word being converted, (v) converting to a first non-alpha symbol, a word-final alpha set "y" which does not form a portion of a word having a character length less than three, (vi) converting to said first symbol, a word-final alpha set "ie" which does not form a portion of a word having a character length less than four, (vii) converting to said first symbol, a word-final alpha set "i" which does not form a portion of a word having a character length less than three, (viii) converting to said first symbol, an alpha set which (a) consists of either of the characters "i" or "y", and (b) is both preceded and followed by any one of the characters "e", "i", "o", "a", and "u", (ix) converting to an alpha set "i", an alpha set "y" which is immediately preceded by a consonant, (x) converting to an alpha set "sh", an alpha set which (a) consists of either of the character sequences "si" or "ti", (b) is followed immediately by any one of the characters "a", "o", and "u", and (c) does not begin in character position one or character position two of the word, (xi) converting to an alpha set "ge", a word-final alpha set "gue" which does not begin in character position one or character position two of the word, (xii) converting to an alpha set "oo", an alpha set "ue", (xiii) converting to an alpha set "oo", an alpha set which consists of any one of the characters "e", "a", and "o" followed by either of the characters "u" or "w", and which (a) is followed by a consonant, or (b) is word-final, (xiv) converting to a trace symbol, a word-final alpha set which (a) consists of either of the character sequences "ea" or "ia", and (b) does not form a portion of a word having a character length less than four, (xv) converting to a trace symbol, a word-initial alpha set consisting of one or more occurrences any of the characters "a", "e", "i", "o", and "u", (xvi) converting to an alpha set "g", an alpha set "dg", (xvii) converting to an alpha set "k", an alpha set "c", (xviii) converting an alpha set consisting of either of a doubly-adjacent or triply-adjacent occurrence of a single consonant to an alpha set being said single consonant, (xix) converting to an alpha set "x", an alpha set "ks", (xx) converting to an alpha set "xhon", a non-word-initial alpha set "xion", (xxi) converting to an alpha set "s", a word-initial alpha set "ps", (xxii) converting to an alpha set "r", an alpha set "rh", (xxiii) converting to an alpha set "te", a non-word-initial alpha set "ght", (xxiv) converting to an alpha set "f", an alpha set "ph", (xxv) converting to an alpha set "n", an alpha set "gn", (xxvi) converting to an alpha set "n", a word-initial alpha set which consists of either of the character sequences "kn" or "pn", and (xxvii) converting to an alpha set "x", an alpha set "xs".
17. A process according to claim 16 in which each said converting step further comprises sequential steps selected from the sequential steps of (i) converting to a second non-alpha symbol, an alpha set which consists of any one of the characters "e", "i", and "a" and which is preceded by (a) exclusively consonants, or (b) a trace symbol, resulting from a prior-executed conversion step, which is followed exclusively by consonants, (ii) converting to a third non-alpha symbol, an alpha set which consists of either of the characters "o" or "u" and which is preceded by (a) exclusively consonants, or (b) a trace symbol, resulting from a prior-executed conversion step, which is followed exclusively by consonants, (iii) converting to said third symbol, a non-word-initial second symbol which results from a prior conversion step, and which is followed by a singly-occurring character "r" which (1) is followed by a consonant not a character "r", or (2) is word-final, (iv) converting to said third symbol, a word-final alpha set "o" which forms a portion of a word having a character length of two or more, (v) converting to said third symbol, a word-final alpha set "oe" which forms a portion of a word having a character length of two or more, (vi) converting to a fourth non-alpha symbol, a second symbol which results from a prior conversion step, and which is followed exclusively by consonants, and (vii) converting to a fifth non-alpha symbol, a third symbol which results from a prior conversion step, which is followed exclusively by consonants, (viii) deleting a non-word-initial alpha set consisting of one or more occurrences of any of the characters "a", "e", "i", "o", "u", and "y".