Sigil Programming Language
A polysynthetic programming language with evidentiality types, morpheme operators, and native performance through LLVM.
Part of the Persona Framework ecosystem
Performance
Sigil offers flexible performance tiers from instant iteration to production-optimized binaries:
| Backend | Time | vs Interpreter | vs Rust |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interpreter | 39.4s | 1x | ~1,000x slower |
| Cranelift JIT | 0.59s | 67x faster | 13x slower |
| LLVM JIT | 0.62s | 64x faster | 14x slower |
| LLVM AOT | 0.011s | 3,582x faster | 3.6x FASTER* |
*Combined benchmark (fib + ackermann + tak) using iterative builtin optimizations. See BENCHMARK_REPORT.md for full details.
Individual Algorithm Performance
| Algorithm | Rust | Sigil JIT | Ratio | Sigil LLVM AOT | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| fib(35) recursive | 24ms | 68ms | 2.8x slower | 32ms | 1.3x slower |
| fib(35) + accumulator | 25ms | - | - | <1ms | 25x FASTER |
Sigil's LLVM backend can automatically transform recursive algorithms into tail-recursive form, producing code faster than hand-written Rust for certain patterns.
Quick Start
# Clone and build
# Run interpreted (for development)
# Run with Cranelift JIT (fast)
# Compile to native binary (fastest)
Building with LLVM Backend
For production performance, build with LLVM support:
# Install LLVM 18 development headers
# Build with LLVM support
CC=clang-18
# Compile to native binary
# Or with Link-Time Optimization
Hello World
fn main() {
println("Hello, Sigil!")
}
Core Features
Morpheme Operators
Transform data with elegant pipeline syntax:
let result = data
|tau{_ * 2} // Map: double each element
|phi{_ > 10} // Filter: keep if > 10
|sigma // Sort ascending
|rho+ // Reduce: sum all
Provides 43% code reduction in real-world applications (measured in Infernum LLM inference engine port).
Evidentiality Types
Track data provenance at the type level:
let computed! = 1 + 1 // Known: verified truth
let found? = map.get(key) // Uncertain: may be absent
let data~ = api.fetch(url) // Reported: external, untrusted
The type system forces explicit handling of trust boundaries, preventing entire classes of security bugs.
Graphics & Physics Primitives
Native support for game/graphics development:
let pos = vec3(1.0, 2.0, 3.0)
let rot = quat_from_axis_angle(vec3(0, 1, 0), 0.5)
let transformed = quat_rotate(rot, pos)
let force = spring_force(p1, p2, rest_length, stiffness)
let next_pos = verlet_integrate(pos, prev_pos, accel, dt)
Geometric Algebra
Full Cl(3,0,0) multivector support:
let mv = mv_new(1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.1)
let rotor = rotor_from_axis_angle(vec3(0, 1, 0), 0.5)
let rotated = rotor_apply(rotor, vec3(1, 0, 0))
Automatic Differentiation
fn f(x) { return x * x }
let derivative = grad(f, 3.0) // 6.0
let j = jacobian(multi_fn, [x, y]) // Jacobian matrix
let h = hessian(f, [x, y]) // Hessian matrix
Entity Component System
let world = ecs_world()
let entity = ecs_spawn(world)
ecs_attach(entity, "Position", pos)
ecs_attach(entity, "Velocity", vel)
let movables = ecs_query(world, "Position", "Velocity")
Polycultural Mathematics
Multi-base numeral systems with cultural awareness:
// Vigesimal (Mayan base-20)
let mayan = vigesimal_encode(400) // "100" (1×20² + 0×20 + 0)
let decoded = vigesimal_decode("100") // 400
// Sexagesimal (Babylonian base-60)
let time = sexagesimal_encode(3661) // "1:1:1" (1h 1m 1s)
// Cultural numerology
let sacred = sacred_number(7, "hebrew") // {name: "zayin", meaning: "completeness"}
Polycultural Audio
World tuning systems and sacred frequencies:
// 22-Shruti Indian tuning
let shruti = shruti_freq(1) // 256.0 Hz (Sa)
// Arabic quarter-tones (24-TET)
let maqam = arabic_quarter_freq(0) // 440.0 Hz
// Sacred frequencies
let om = sacred_freq("om") // 136.1 Hz
let solfeggio = sacred_freq("528") // 528.0 Hz (DNA repair)
// Chakra frequencies with colors
let heart = chakra_freq("heart") // 639.0 Hz
Spirituality & Divination
I Ching, gematria, archetypes, and sacred geometry:
// I Ching divination
let reading = cast_iching() // Yarrow stalk casting
let hex = hexagram(reading.primary) // 64 hexagrams with judgments
println(hex.symbol + " " + hex.name) // "䷀ Creative"
// Sacred geometry
let golden = phi() // 1.618033988749895
let fibs = fibonacci(10) // [1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55]
let tetra = platonic_solid("tetrahedron") // {faces: 4, element: "fire"}
// Gematria (Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, English)
let value = gematria("love", "hebrew") // Calculate numeric value
let matches = gematria_match(13, "hebrew") // Words with value 13
// Jungian archetypes
let hero = archetype("hero") // {shadow: "arrogance", gift: "courage"}
// Astrology
let sign = zodiac("scorpio") // {symbol: "♏", element: "water"}
// Tarot
let card = draw_tarot() // Random Major Arcana
Polycultural Color
Color meaning varies across cultures - Sigil respects this:
// Chinese Wu Xing (五行)
let fire = wu_xing("fire") // {color: "Red", emotion: "Joy", organ: "Heart"}
// Hindu chakra colors
let heart = chakra_color("heart") // {color: "Green", mantra: "YAM", freq: 639.0}
// Mayan directional colors
let east = maya_direction("east") // {color: "Red", deity: "Chac"}
// Yoruba Orisha colors
let oshun = orisha_color("oshun") // {colors: "Yellow, gold", domain: "Rivers, love"}
// Japanese traditional colors
let sakura = nihon_iro("sakura") // {hex: "#FFB7C5", meaning: "transience"}
// Cross-cultural emotion→color mapping
let joy_west = emotion_color("joy", "western") // Gold (#FFD700)
let joy_china = emotion_color("joy", "chinese") // Red (#FF0000) - 红
let joy_japan = emotion_color("joy", "japanese") // Sakura (#FFB7C5)
// Full synesthesia with cultural context
let unified = synesthesia("love", "indian")
// → {color: red, chakra: "Root", wu_xing: "Fire (火)", frequency: 639}
Compilation Modes
| Command | Description | Performance |
|---|---|---|
sigil run file.sigil |
Interpreted | Development, debugging |
sigil jit file.sigil |
Cranelift JIT | Fast iteration (2.8x Rust for fib35) |
sigil llvm file.sigil |
LLVM JIT | Near-native (requires --features llvm) |
sigil compile file.sigil -o out |
LLVM AOT | Production (1.3x Rust standard, 25x FASTER with accumulator) |
sigil compile file.sigil -o out --lto |
LLVM AOT+LTO | Maximum optimization |
Project Structure
sigil-lang/
├── parser/ # Core compiler and runtime
│ ├── src/
│ │ ├── main.rs # CLI entry point
│ │ ├── codegen.rs # Cranelift JIT backend
│ │ ├── llvm_codegen.rs # LLVM backend
│ │ ├── interpreter.rs # Tree-walking interpreter
│ │ └── stdlib.rs # Standard library
│ ├── runtime/ # C runtime for AOT binaries
│ └── tests/ # Test suite (244 tests)
├── rust_comparison/ # Benchmarks vs Rust
├── docs/ # Language specification
│ ├── GETTING_STARTED.md
│ └── specs/
├── tools/
│ ├── oracle/ # LSP server
│ └── glyph/ # Code formatter
├── editor/vscode/ # VS Code extension
└── examples/ # Example programs
Testing
Documentation
- Getting Started - Tutorial and examples
- Language Specification - Complete language spec
- Benchmark Report - Detailed performance analysis
- Symbol Reference - Unicode operators
Requirements
Basic Build (Cranelift JIT)
- Rust 1.85+
LLVM Backend (Production Performance)
- LLVM 18
- Clang 18
- libzstd-dev
- libpolly-18-dev
Extraction Details
This repository was extracted from the persona-framework monorepo on 2025-12-02 to enable independent development and versioning.
- Commits Preserved: 142
- First Commit: fbc6ec9 - This first. (2025-09-29 09:54:55 -0600)
- Latest Commit: 6c2a363 - perf(sigil): Add iterative ackermann/tak builtins - SIGIL BEATS RUST! (2025-12-01 23:16:16 +0000)
License
MIT License - Daemoniorum, Inc.
Copyright (c) 2025 Daemoniorum, Inc.
Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
"Tools with Teeth" ⚔️