Line study: f9v line 8

This is the second in a series of studies where I will examine lines of Voynich text from various perspectives, but primarily by plotting them onto a template. 

Readers should refer back to the first study, concerning line 5 of f25r, for an account of methodology. 

* * *

This current study will concern line 8 from f9v:

soiin.daiin.qokcho.rokyd-daly-

In this case, it is important to see it in situ. 

It is one of the lines of text broken by an illustration. We have:

[soiin.daiin.qokcho.rokyd]

Then the line concludes, after the drawing of the blue flower, with the word [daly]. 

* * *

I count 20 glyphs in all ([iin] counts as one). Of these only six are from the QOKEEDY paradigm:

soiin.daiin.qokcho.rokyd-daly-

The total Q = 30%. Low. 

It is a Currier A line. 

* * *

There are no difficulties plotting the line to the template, except that the hapax logomenon [rokyd] must be offset from the others. 

In many lines, as we will see, there is one peculiar or rare word while all the others are common or relatively so. These rare words are the words that cause difficulties. 

But here the string [r.o.k.y.d] is found on the template, taking [r] as a variant of either [l] or [n] - a backslash glyph, anyway. 

This is consistent throughout. [r] matches the template at L or IIN.

This is why we do not place [rokyd] in the first cycle. The only options there are: 

K

D

Q

Ch

D

But the options in the second cycle are:

D

Q

K

L

iiN

If we place the word here, with the [r] matching either [l] or [iin], then the word conforms.

I have not differentiated the intrusions of [s] and [r] or [m] or [g] in the template. I believe they constitute another cycle, but here they count as variants. 

* * *

What is of most interest, though, is that the word that continues after the illustration break, namely [daly], is revealed to be a continuation of [rokyd] but sharing the same glyph [d]. 

To isolate it and mark it with red:

K	D	Q	Ch	D		d
EE	Y	O	O	A		a
D	Q	K	L	iiN	r	l
Y	O	EE	D	Ch	o	y
Q	K	D	A	O	k
O	EE	Y	iiN	L	y
K	D	Q	Ch	D	d	d
EE	Y	O	O	A	a	a
D	Q	K	L	iiN	l	l
Y	O	EE	D	Ch	y	y
Q	K	D	A	O
O	EE	Y	iiN	L

We see the usefulness of the template. The text here confirms the template. 

The illustration, in this case, has interrupted the text at the glyph [d]. Rather than continuing with [-aly] after the illustration, the [d] is repeated. We would be justified mending the breach and thinking of it as a single word. 

This is only one case, though. Many lines are broken by illustrations. It remains to be seen if other lines behave in the same way. 

* * *

The line presents a symmetry of sorts. Five words. The pivotal word is the [q] word [qotcho] with the [iin] words one side of the divide. 

But if [daly] is reconciled with [rokyd] and is one word the line is in two halves:

oiin - aiin |  qok - rok

As we will see, simple bifurcation like this, where one half of the line is very different to the other half, is not uncommon.

In this case, the bifurcation would correspond to the two paradigms. The first half of the line contains no Q-Text elements at all. The QOKEEDY paradigm only intrudes in the second half of the line.  

* * *

What is the [s] in [soiin] at the start of the line?

The options are:

K

D

Q

Ch

D

The only glyph among these that matches is [ch] - on the basis of the glyph's c-curve form. (Both glyphs, arguably, are variants of [e].) 

This explains why the [a] becomes an [o] - because [o] naturally (paradigmatically) follows [ch]. 

Not always though. [saiin] is a more common word. But in this case [soiin] has been set next to [daiin] and a deliberate contrast is being made. 

This is the only instance of [soiin.daiin.] together like this. 

There is one case of [saiin.daiin.] which, like here, is line initial. It is the third line of 83v, a nymph page:

saiin.daiin.olkeedy.okedy.dykain.shek.chdy.dalal.oldy-

It is a line without a glyph [q]. Other than beginning with [saiin.daiin.], though, it has no apparent resemblance or other connection to f9v line 8. 

* * *

R.B.