There are two models for lines of Voynich text. They prevail, respectively, in the two 'languages', Currier A and B, or Text A and Text B.
In Text A, the archetypal or paradigmatic line of text has eight words.
In Text B, the archetypal or paradigmatic line of text has twelve words.
The difference between the two texts is quite visible to casual observation. The lines of text in the herbal section (Text A) are shorter than those in the Star Catalogue or the Nymph pages (Text B).
Assuredly, there are lines with more or less than eight or twelve words in these texts, but the paradigm, the standard, is for lines of eight words or lines of twelve.
Whether this is the statistical average depends upon the sample tested - and what we count as a line, and also the knotty issue of what are and are not word breaks.
Word counts are open to many variables. Are single stand-alone glyphs counted as words? Do we count breaks in text at illustrations? Is [okeeokaloro] two words run together by scribal error? Such statistics are always slippery and often dubious.
In any case, there is no requirement that a statistical average exactly match the paradigm. It is enough to say that:
*Lines in Text A are about eight words long. (And the average in any sample will be about eight.)
*Lines in Text B are about twelve words long. (And the average in any sample will be about twelve.)
Certainly, lines in Text B are longer than those in Text A and are so by about a third.
By "lines" we mean full lines, not the shorter lines that often end paragraphs, nor circular text.
The paradigmatic form - which the text approximates - is for lines of either eight or twelve words.
* * *
I will demonstrate it by sampling:
Here is a sample of pure B Text from f76r in the nymph section with the number of words indicated:
f76r.R.1 = 11 potchokar.chcfhdy.opshdy.qolp.chcphy.chcphdy.opshey.qofshy.opchdy.sain.*sy-
f76r.R.2 = 12 dshedy.qotddyar.cthar.chep.dain.okain.qokeor.shedy.qol.ain.sheols.qokeey-
f76r.R.3 = 13 yshey.qokeey.qokey.qokeed.okedy.shky.qotedy.otedy.shol.qoty.ol.chedy.aiiny-
f76r.R.4 = 12 qokedy.qokchy.orar.or.chkarol.otey.qokedy.lkedy.chdy.qokchdy.qokal.chdam-
f76r.R.5 = 13 solchedy.qokeedy.qopchedy.qokeeo.sol.shedy.qokedy.sheey.okees.al.al.chedain.dar-
f76r.R.6 = 12 qoaiin.ches.okeedal.qokeokeey.shedy.chey.lkeedy.okey.dar.oiin.chekain.oldy-
f76r.R.7 = 14 shed.al.shckhy.sain.chcphedy.ain.olkeey.lkar.ain.otchy.lkain.chedy.dar.daly-
f76r.R.8 = 12 qotedshedy.qorain.oteedy.chedy.ol.chdy.raiiin.chekain.dain.chckhy.sal.oty-
f76r.R.9 = 14 sol.shedy.qool.qctheed.shdy.qo.ol.keey.dain.saiin.sar.shedy.qokeor.okeedy-
f76r.R.10 = 12 qokeedy.checthy.chckhey.okol.okaiin.sheckhey.okeedy.otey.dal.ykal.chedy.sar-
f76r.R.11 = 14 chor.shedy.qoked.okees.al.ar.aiin.ar.ain.chckheed.lchedy.shedy.qolair.chedy-
f76r.R.12 = 11 qotes.chedy.shckhy.qokeey.okeey.kain.checkhy.qokeedy.qotey.qotain.chekear-
f76r.R.13 = 11 chey.chckh.shey.qeeey.chol.lkain.shedy.qokeedy.okain.chedy.okeeokaloro-
f76r.R.14 = 11 dcheedy.qolchey.qokeey.qokeey.chedy.qokar.shedy.shedy.lshedy.qolchedy.otedyl-
f76r.R.15 = 12 dshedy.qo.chedy.lchedy.qokey.qolchey.qotain.chckhy.shckhy.lchar.okar.alchdy-
f76r.R.16 = 11 qokchsdy.okeey.lchedy.qo.olain.otshedy.qotaly.dar.sain.shedy.oleeed-
f76r.R.17 = 13 sheedy.qokedy.chedy.chedy.qokain.chckhy.olchy.l.ain.shedy.olain.chedy.qokey-
f76r.R.18 = 12 dalshedy.qol.sheedy.qokaldy.chepy.dain.alolor.olain.chedy.shecthy.qokeey.lor-
f76r.R.19 = 14 qaloin.chey.qokeey.lchedy.chckhy.chey.ky.chey.qolal.lkl.chey.lchedy.chey.llaiiry-
f76r.R.20 = 13 shedal.shey.qokey.qolchedy.qolain.ain.chey.qokaiin.okain.cheedy.lchey.loly.sy-
f76r.R.21 = 13 soin.sheey.chear.ol.aiin.chodaiin.qokaiin.chey.qokalchey.dal.chdy.dal.ytal-
f76r.R.22 = 13 qokar.shedy.shedy.qokar.shedy.qokain.dar.shey.lshcthy.okar.okain.ylaiin.y-
f76r.R.23 = 12 darchey.cheolchey.shcthy.chedy.qo.qokey.dalaiin.sheeky.qokain.olky.sain.chy-
f76r.R.24 = 14 cheor.ain.okaiin.dain.chey.dal.shedy.qokaiin.cheol.shy.chedy.rain.chedy.shy-
f76r.R.25 = 13 qokedy.lkey.kal.shedy.qopchey.qol.pchedy.okchy.chckhy.shey.lol.ral.sheey.dar-
f76r.R.26 = 12 cheor.shey.qoolkal.shedy.shedy.shey.shedy.ollchy.shlches.shcthy.sain.oly-
f76r.R.27 = 12 saiin.shedy.lshey.qokal.chcthy.okeolor.cheol.otar.chedy.qol.chcthy.chckhy-
f76r.R.28 = 13 qokal.shedy.sheol.cheal.alshy.chol.chdy.talor.olalor.chol.okeyr.ar.oly-
f76r.R.30 = 10 polalchdy.pshedy.opchedy.qokas.yksheol.qokeedy.oty.lshed.chpsheedy.ytal-
f76r.R.31 = 13 qolchey.shckhy.qokey.lchy.opchey.dain.shdy.qokedar.olchdy.sor.oty.dy.lchedy-
f76r.R.32 = 13 sain.ar.okedy.lcheey.qokey.shckhy.otedy.qokal.shey.qoky.dain.chedy.qokchdyl-
f76r.R.33 = 12 dain.chey.lsh.daiin.chey.lchedy.qolain.qotal.shedy.dy.shecthy.otalam-
f76r.R.34 = 10 sor.shey.qokey.qokar.sheeoldy.chol.oly.chaly.lol.chdy=
f76r.R.35 = 11 poleedaran.shckhy.qoty.ykar.alol.lkaiin.olshedy.otain.okar.opar.kolpy-
* * *
Here is some pure A Text, f 20r in the herbal section (selected because the lines are not interrupted by illustrations.)
f20r.P.1 = 7 kdchody.chopy.cheey.qotchol.qotoeey.dchor.choiin-
f20r.P.2 = 7 chodey.cthey.chotol.odaiir.qotchy.cthody.chodchy-
f20r.P.3 = 8 qoteey.cho.chodaiin.sho.qochy.chey.tcheodal.daral-
f20r.P.5 = 7 pchocthy.chokoaiin.cpy.cheeen.opchey.shosaiin.r-
f20r.P.6 = 8 choees.okchor.qotol.cheey.daiin.chy.choiin.daiin-
f20r.P.7 = 7 ocholshod.daiin.choteol.chol.dol.shol.otaiin-
f20r.P.9 = 6 fchodees.shody.qotchey.qokchey.qocphy.chokoldy-
f20r.P.10 = 8 ochoaiin.chor.sody.pchodaiin.chetody.choky.dchy.toy-
f20r.P.11 = 5 dchooteeody.ytchy.qotshey.dchaiin.cholody-
f20r.P.12 = 8 shoiin.cheody.otchey.otchy.tchy.qoteey.daiin.dar-
* * *
We don't need to indulge in statistics to see the difference or to see that these lines approximate twelve and eight respectively.
Just as words approximate the paradigms QOKEEDY, or CHOLDAIIN, so lines of text approximate paradigms of twelve and eight words.
The A Text is based on the CHOLDAIIN paradigm and typically forms lines of eight words.
The B Text is based on QOKEEDY and typically extends to lines of twelve words.
By my account, these numbers are astrological and follow from the astrological symbolism of the two paradigmatic words.
By my account, this is a structural feature of the astrological notation that I propose constitutes the Voynich text.
It is an important structure to observe. Much study is devoted to the statistical differences between Text A and Text B - and finer distinctions of them - but this basic difference receives little or no comment. In fact, I have never seen it reported at all.
It will elude many global statistics. It is perfectly evident on a page-by-page analysis where full lines of text are clear and uninterrupted. That some sections of text have longer lines than others is obvious to the naked eye. A closer look soon reveals the pattern.
Of course, Text A and Text B are not in different "languages"; they are different applications of a single system of a notation that is internally coherent.
The casting of short lines in Text A and longer lines in Text B is not linguistic. There is no linguistic model, or even an encryption model, that easily accounts for a text in which lines (as "functional units") are either eight or twelve words in length.
R.B.
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