Consonant/Vowel alternation

The purpose of this exercise is to demonstrate the persistence of the CV structure – consonant/vowel alternation - running throughout the text. 

My argument is that [o] is the primal vowel, and that the underlying text is a sequence of [o] glyphs alternating with consonants. Thus:

o|o|o|o|o|o|

VCVCVCVCVC

The gallows glyphs are, by my account, the primal consonants, the others being derivative.

The vowels are [o] and modifications of [o], namely [e] and [a]. 

We only need a few firm rules:

1. [y] can act as vowel or consonant.

2. [ee] is a single long vowel, and so are variants: [eee], [ea], [ea] and where an [o] replaces an [e] as in [oa]. That is, double (and triple and other multiple) vowels are counted as variants of [ee] which is counted as a single vowel. 

3. [iin] counts as a single consonant, as do the variants [in] and [iiin] as well as the same forms with [r], [iir], [ir], [iiir].

4. [ch] and [sh] are single consonants.

The benched gallows glyphs are single consonants.

The main latitude allowed by these rules is that [y] can act as C or V, but this is necessary and justified on many grounds. In the main, [y] acts as a vowel, a variant of [o] and is word-final or word-initial. 

The other allowance is that vowels are clustered. Multiple vowels are all treated as variants of [ee] so that a sequence of vowels such as [oeeee] is counted as a single configuration. 

Note that we have, in effect, considerably reduced the size of the Voynich alphabet. 

It might be objected that, by these rules, I am manipulating the text to force it to conform to a predetermined pattern which is then an artifact of the rules. 

I argue (elsewhere) that the rules are well-founded and consistent and that the rules expose rather than create the underlying pattern. 

Even if the rules were being imposed without justification, it is remarkable that the text can be made to conform to such a pattern so readily. 

* * *

Note that the two keywords, or verbum potentiae, upon which the text is founded are, by my account: QOKEEDY and CHOLDAIIN. 

Vowel clusters such as [eeeody] are counted as a variant of the long vowel [ee] in the QOKEEDY paradigm. 

QOKEEDY conforms, but CHOLDAIIN must bifurcate into CHOL and DAIIN in order to conform (creating two of the most frequent words in the text.) 

That is, there is the in-built complication of a double consonant in the paradigms. The disruption occurs at [-ld-] – by sympathy at the gallows [k] in QOKEEDY. We can expect to see this disrupting CV alternation in the text. 

It is the words that do not conform – and why – that is the most important matter here. 

* * *

When we look at the first line of text in the manuscript we see that every word except [cthres] conforms:

fachys.ykal.ar.ataiin.shol.shory.cthres.y.kor.sholdy-

[cthres] breaks the rule by having two consonants together, the benched gallows [cth] and the [r].

The second line:

sory.ckhar.or.y.kair.chtaiin.shar.are.cthar.cthar.dan-

Here only [chtaiin] breaks the rule.

The third line of text:

syaiir.sheky.or.ykaiin.shod.cthoary.cthes.daraiin.sa-

Only the first word is problematic. The [oa] in [cthoary] is counted as a variant of [ee] which is counted as a single vowel. 

* * *

Further lines sampled at random (Takahashi EVA), with non-conforming words in bold. (Preferring to study words in the context of lines.) 

<f4v.P.10;H>       otaiin.sheo.okeody.chol.chokeody-

<f7v.P.3;H>        qokchy.dykchy.chkeey.kshy.ky.ty.dor.cheey.ol.cheol.dy-

<f13v.P.7;H>       dain.okal.chy.qokchory-dchy.koky.daiin-shoin-

<f25r.P.2;H>       otor.chor.chrky.chotchy.shair.qod.sho.chy.kchy.chkain-

<f26v.P.5;H>       deeol.eeeody.qoteedy.qokody.qotedy.qotedy.opchedy.ofchy.chs.ar-

<f29r.P.3;H>       qokchy.qoty.kchaiin.shear.cthor-dchor.choly-

<f30r.P.1;H>       okchesy.chey.shorchey.fcheody.shey.tchy.cher.d.o.shey-

<f31v.P.7;H>       olteedam.ches.chol.keeol.checkhy.okeol.okal.oky.cheokar.okor.ary-

<f32v.P.9;H>       otchol.daiin.daiin.ctho.daiin.qotaiin-otchy.d-shar-

<f34v.P.3;H>       ytal.seor.chdal.olchdy.char.or.ol.kedaiiin.chcthy.okchdy.chckhy.dasam-

<f34v.P.10;H>      daiin.chdy.tedy.kchdy.okeedy.checkhy.chdy.kain.cheor.or.okedy.okam-

<f37r.P.2;H>       ykoiin.cthor.okaiin.qotchy.ytody.qokaiin.sho.ytaiin-

<f39v.P.3;H>       daiin.chor.okain.okaiifchody.saiin.or.aiin.qokaiin.ytodaiin.okom-

<f41r.P.2;H>       ykeeo.alshey.ykedy.keshdy.dy-dor.ycheoky.qokeed.chpy.qokedy.dy-

<f47r.P.2;H>       chokchol.chol.choldy.dair.chad.aiin-

<f52v.P.4;H>       tchor.ctheor.ctheol.cheeor.cheol.chckheey.sody-

<f58r.P.30;H>      ytor.ar.alom.qokalor.chdy.dair.chody.cheol.okolchy.otaldy-

<f66r.R.10;H>      qocheky.shetey.dalal.shedy.chcta.r.sheod.shokaiir.chckhhy.dasd-

<f70r1.I.1;H>      otechg.tshey.ol.oteey.ched.ar.oteos.sheor.alal.otar.ary.oteodshey.keody.oteos.al.

<f71r.R1.1;H>      olkeeody.okody.okchedy.oky.eey.okeodar.okeoky.oteody.oto.otol.oteey.ar.ykooar.aiin.aekeeey.okeokeokeody.okeodar.chy.s.aiin.otokeoar.or.ar.al.otol.al.shckhey.oteeeodar.oteody.otol.aiin.shoekey.sal.al.ald.cheeokseo.qorky.choly=

<f76r.R.13;H>      chey.chckh.shey.qeeey.chol.lkain.shedy.qokeedy.okain.chedy.okeed.qokaloro-

<f77r.P.17;H>      otedy.qokor.shedy.qokal.shedar.dal.chedy.daror-

<f80r.P.35;H>      okain.shedy.qokan.chedy.qotain.cheky.lteey.lolom-

<f80v.P.16;H>      cheol.key.qotar.dy.qotal.dy.keedy.qokain.oty.loldy.tal-

<f82v.P.13;H>      orain.shedy.qok.char.okai.qokeedy.rcheey.qotedy.chtedy.rches.aly-

<f83r.P.22;H>      schedair.otchedy.qokeedy.chedain.chedy.qotedaiin.otaiin.otedy.ldy-

<f84r.P.16;H>      sor.ol.olaiin.oqol.yqor.or.ckhedy.chkedy.okain.shedy.qokolchedy.olain-

<f84r.P.29;H>      dshedy.oteedy.qotar.chekar.or.shedy.saiin-

<f88v.P1.3;H>      qoaiin.cheoy.olcheody.qoekeol.cho.chckhy.qoeey.key.cheokam-

<f89v2.P1.3;H>     yched.okeey.qoeol.daiin-chor.chor.cheos.qol.eeeey.dal.chody.cheor.chey.qoaiin.chody-

<f90v1.P.4;H>      kos.sheor.chockhor.qekeody.cheody-sy-s-olcheey.cthey.qoky-

<f93r.P.1;H>       kodshol.otolsheeos.octhodaly.opalefom.oepchksheey.qotodain.s.oar-

<f93v.P.9;H>       odeeeeodl.cheodar.oksho.chody.okchey.cthol.oly-ytchol.sar.dar-

<f102v2.P1.6;H>    ycheey.s.odeeeey.okeeor.cheol.or.oiin.oeees.okear.chey.keey.saiin.oteos-

<f103v.P.7;H>      daiin.shey.chol.chey.oteey.lkeeor.okaiin.shedy.shedy.qokaiin.ol.chedydy-

<f103r.P.41;H>     cheol.sheeey.qotey.oteeal.oteedy.shetsho.keeos.shey.qokeedy.qokal.dal-

<f104r.P.20;H>     dsheoy.qocthey.qokchdy.qokaiin.chol.rar.cheody.cheekan.ar.ain.ar.alam-

<f104r.P.37;H>   

okaiin.cheodal.qoaiin.okar.oraiin.okar.oteody.qokaiin.okal.qotir-

<f105v.P.8;H>      fodal.kedar.olpchesd.araiin.ksheeol.opchedy.pchedy.opcheddl.pchdar.air.odar-

<f105v.P.30;H>     dchedy.cheey.qokor.otaiin.otair.otair.okeedy.taiin.aiin.s.aiin.sy-

<f107r.P.9;H>      okoiin.sheey.tcheol.kain.okeey.chedy.okeedy.chdykchedy.chey.kain.an-

<f107v.P.35;H>     polchedy.olkeey.lkey.chcthy.lkar.shedy.qokaiin.chedy.qokeedy.lol-

<f111r.P.32;H>     dsheeoteey.qokeeo.lkeey.tear.qoteey.qotain.cholkeeedy.lchechdy.qokechy-

<f112v.P.33;H>     or.cheeor.okeedy.qokedy.qokeedy.chedaiin.okeeedy.otaiin.cheekey.chol-

* * *

We see from this sample, without any further investigation, that the large majority of words conform. It is the longer and rarer words that break the pattern.

As I say, it is the exceptions – the non-conforming words – that are of most interest here. They will be considered in further posts. 

R.B.