23-05-2023, 02:00 PM
The Voynich-Ms as a concattenation of Abbreviations
I came to the conclusion years ago that the ms. could not be a coded text and then began to search the shallows of medieval lore for possible alternatives.
Three things stood out: the text is almost completely legible in that sense, but makes no sense, and glyphs stand out that are clearly medieval abbreviations; moreover, the same characters and groups of characters appear again and again.
I found after some time the little-known practice of using the 'normal' medieval abbreviation system in place of a shorthand that the Middle Ages had not developed and the Tironian notes that had fallen out of use.
I came to the conclusion that it was a text written in this abbreviation system.
The text of the so-called Voynich manuscript, Beinecke 408 is a sequence of so-called words, sense units, which in turn are a sequence of abbreviations.
The script is a Gothic minuscule with the corresponding abbreviations and additional derivations probably from the Uncial.
Abbreviations
The breakthrough came when I realised that the character sequence daiin must be read differently, namely as d' aui and an abbreviation stroke, which is then clearly to be interpreted as dicit auicenna - it is actually the problem of textualis, which knows similar sequences of minims that are very difficult to read.
One then quickly notices more abbreviations
q for the relative pronoun quod EVA q
ct for caput EVA c and h
9 cum/con or ending EVA y
the two etc abbreviations, EVA g and m
Numbers
2 EVA r
5 EVA s
Litterae singulares - Gallows
The two P, EVA f and p, M EVA t and N EVA k, the meaning could be Pliny, Nat: Hist., Pandects, Mesue or Macer, (Antidotarium) Nicolai.
Marginalia
The so-called marginalia consist largely of abbreviations, the best example is 116v, primum, palden probiren, gas milch, also the so-called spell seems to contain abbreviations, I just noticed that the third a in oladabas is not an a but a con - abbreviation. 17r en seems to mean emplastrum - at least that is what the illustration suggests.
Vatican Archives
I have heard from a reliable source of B. 408 comparable noizen in the AAV, but have not yet been able to locate the original, perhaps one of the readers works there and knows more.
Atahanasius Kircher
I think that A.K. recognised and was able to read the shortening system, whether he read it is another question.
Avicenna
I suspect that the underlying text is Avicenna, Canon, book 2, herbarium, book 5 recipe part and the gynaecology of book 3, except for the astronomical part, perhaps Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos?
If my hypothesis is correct, this does not solve all the problems, of course,
on the contrary. In many cases you just have to guess what the text means and I am not at all sure that all glyphs always mean the same thing.
Conclusion
The text of the so-called Voynich Manuscript, Beinecke 408 is a sequence of so-called words, sense units, which in turn are a sequence of abbreviations.
Questions and comments welcome
Helmut Winkler
Translated with You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (free version)
I came to the conclusion years ago that the ms. could not be a coded text and then began to search the shallows of medieval lore for possible alternatives.
Three things stood out: the text is almost completely legible in that sense, but makes no sense, and glyphs stand out that are clearly medieval abbreviations; moreover, the same characters and groups of characters appear again and again.
I found after some time the little-known practice of using the 'normal' medieval abbreviation system in place of a shorthand that the Middle Ages had not developed and the Tironian notes that had fallen out of use.
I came to the conclusion that it was a text written in this abbreviation system.
The text of the so-called Voynich manuscript, Beinecke 408 is a sequence of so-called words, sense units, which in turn are a sequence of abbreviations.
The script is a Gothic minuscule with the corresponding abbreviations and additional derivations probably from the Uncial.
Abbreviations
The breakthrough came when I realised that the character sequence daiin must be read differently, namely as d' aui and an abbreviation stroke, which is then clearly to be interpreted as dicit auicenna - it is actually the problem of textualis, which knows similar sequences of minims that are very difficult to read.
One then quickly notices more abbreviations
q for the relative pronoun quod EVA q
ct for caput EVA c and h
9 cum/con or ending EVA y
the two etc abbreviations, EVA g and m
Numbers
2 EVA r
5 EVA s
Litterae singulares - Gallows
The two P, EVA f and p, M EVA t and N EVA k, the meaning could be Pliny, Nat: Hist., Pandects, Mesue or Macer, (Antidotarium) Nicolai.
Marginalia
The so-called marginalia consist largely of abbreviations, the best example is 116v, primum, palden probiren, gas milch, also the so-called spell seems to contain abbreviations, I just noticed that the third a in oladabas is not an a but a con - abbreviation. 17r en seems to mean emplastrum - at least that is what the illustration suggests.
Vatican Archives
I have heard from a reliable source of B. 408 comparable noizen in the AAV, but have not yet been able to locate the original, perhaps one of the readers works there and knows more.
Atahanasius Kircher
I think that A.K. recognised and was able to read the shortening system, whether he read it is another question.
Avicenna
I suspect that the underlying text is Avicenna, Canon, book 2, herbarium, book 5 recipe part and the gynaecology of book 3, except for the astronomical part, perhaps Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos?
If my hypothesis is correct, this does not solve all the problems, of course,
on the contrary. In many cases you just have to guess what the text means and I am not at all sure that all glyphs always mean the same thing.
Conclusion
The text of the so-called Voynich Manuscript, Beinecke 408 is a sequence of so-called words, sense units, which in turn are a sequence of abbreviations.
Questions and comments welcome
Helmut Winkler
Translated with You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (free version)