[Mediawiki-l] Search for similar or alternative words in MW?

[Paul Coghlan]

I am looking to enhance search in my MW install such that someone searching
for some of the common abbreviations below would find a page with the fully
word in its title.

E.g. I might have a page called ŒBilly Bob Junior¹ but my users might type
ŒBilly Bob Jr¹. I would want the Jr to match as well as the other words.

Is there any manner of allowing this type of search.

I am starting also to look at Lucene and wondered if anyone has experience
of the performance differential I might expect.

Common abbreviations I am dealing with.

Gdns would find Gardens
Nth would find North
Jr or Sr would find Junior or Senior
St would find Saint

Many thanks,
Paul