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Help with Arabic/Syriac Reading of F1R - 008348dc760f858fd668476b75fb6f - 05-04-2026
The following is a call for help based on a reading of You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. and the manuscript as Arabic (with Syriac inflections). The glyph-to-phoneme mapping was produced by cross-referencing Maimonides' Medical Glossary and Paul Sbath's translation of the Kitāb al-Azmina (Book of Times) by Ibn Māsawayh against the MS. A majority of findings came from treating the manuscript's sections as transformative "gates", mapping token transitions and noting Galenic quality changes.
This framework suggests the manuscript was written by an East Syriac (Church of the East) physician-monk from the Mosul–Alqosh corridor, c. 1400–1440, using a purpose-built phonemic cipher to encode Arabic pharmaceutical content within a Syriac liturgical framework. My assumption is that the folio is a colophon, an introductory text for the MS. Its token structure is different to anything in the other sections.
I have rendered You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. into phonemes. If anyone here can lend an eye and ear and sound out the phonemes, I would appreciate a "reading" and interpretation if there is one to be had. Specifically:
• Do the voiced phonemes sound like recognisable Arabic or Syriac words?
• Are the proposed readings phonetically plausible given the encoding rules?
• Can you identify words I have marked as unknown (marked ___)?
• Does the colophon structure match known East Syriac manuscript conventions?
ENCODING RULES & PHONEME MAPPINGS
The script encodes phonemes (sounds), not a one-to-one letter substitution.
Glyph Phoneme Notes
───── ─────── ─────
d /d/ dāl — also covers dhāl (d/dh merged)
r /r/ rāʾ
l /l/ lām
k /k/ kāf — also covers qāf (q/k merged)
m /m/ mīm
s /s/ sīn — also covers zāy (z/s merged). Standalone s = bi- particle
t /tˤ/ ṭāʾ — also covers tāʾ (ṭ/t merged)
p /b/ bāʾ
f /f/ fāʾ
y /j/ yāʾ
n /n/ nūn (97.7% follows i — degree counter terminator)
a /a, aː/ fatḥa / alif — moisture degree counter
e /a/ (short) thermal degree counter: e=°1, ee=°2, eee=°3
o /ʕ/ or /uː/ ʿayn (initial) or wāw (medial)
i /iː/ kasra / yāʾ vocalic — degree counter stroke
g — word-final marker only (possibly tanwīn)
ch /ħ, x/ ḥāʾ/khāʾ merged (bracket glyph)
sh /ʃ/ shīn (bracket glyph with curl)
cth /θ/ thāʾ (t inside bracket)
ckh /dʒ/ jīm (k inside bracket)
cph /sˤ/ ṣād (p inside bracket)
cfh /dˤ/ ḍād (f inside bracket)
Informal Arabic shorthand rules:
– Gemination (shaddah) is never marked: khall → khal, ʿaṭṭār → ʿaṭār
– Hamza is elided: dāʾira → dāira, maʾ → ma
– Hāʾ is dropped in unstressed positions
– Tāʾ marbūṭa dots absent
– Accusative case endings absent (colloquial register)
– Writing direction reversed: left-to-right (not right-to-left)
THE TEXT
Each line shows:
(1) EVA glyphs
(2) Voiced phonemes
(3) Arabic / Syriac identifications
(4) Proposed reading
Unknowns are marked ___.
LINE 1
EVA: fachys ykal ar ataiin shol shory ses y kor sholdy
Voiced: faḥyṣ ykāl ʿar ʿaṭāʾīn šūl šūry ses y kūr šūldy
Arabic: فحص يقال عر عطائين — — — — كورة —
Syriac: — — — — ܫܐܠܐ ܫܘܪܝܐ — — — ܫܐܠܬܐ
Read: faḥṣ yukāl ʿar ʿaṭāʾīn sheʾlā shūrāyā asās — kūra sheʾltā
LINE 2
EVA: sory ckhar or kair chtaiin shar ois cthar cthar dan
Voiced: ṣūry ǧār ʿr kāyr ḥṭāyīn šār āys θār θār dān
Arabic: صورة جار عرض خير خطّاين شرح ايش ثروة ثروة —
Syriac: — — — — — — — — — ܕܝܢ
Read: ṣūra jār ʿarḍ khayr khaṭṭāyin sharḥ aysh tharwa tharwa dēn
LINE 3
EVA: syaiir sheky or ykaiin shod cthoary cthes daraiin sa
Voiced: syāʾīr šeky ʿr ykāʾīn šūd θūāry θes dārāyīn sā
Arabic: سيّارة? — عرض — — ثوري ثمن? داراين —
Syriac: — ܫܟܝܚ? — ܟܝܢܐ? ܫܘܕ — — — —
Read: sayyāra? shkīḥ? ʿarḍ kyānā? shōd thawrī thaman? dārayn sā
LINE 4
EVA: ooiin oteey oteos roloty cthar daiin otaiin or okan
Voiced: ʿūʿīn ʿṭeey ʿṭeūs rūlūṭy θār dāʾīmān ʿṭāʾīn ʿr ʿkān
Arabic: عيون عطيّة ___ ___ ثروة دائماً عطائين عرض ___
Read: ʿuyūn ʿaṭīyya ___ ___ tharwa dāʾimān ʿaṭāʾīn ʿarḍ ___
LINE 5
EVA: dair chear cthaiin cphar cfhaiin ydaraishy
Voiced: dāyr ḥeʿar θāʾīn ṣār ḍāʾīn ydārāyšy
Arabic: دير خير ثاني صبّار — —
Syriac: ܕܝܪܐ — — — — ܝܕܪܫ?
Read: dayr khayr thānī ṣabbār [ḍād demo] yadrusī?
LINE 6
EVA: odar shol cphoy oydar s cfhoaiin shodary
Voiced: ʿudār šūl ṣūy ʿydār s ḍūʿāyīn šūdāry
Syriac: ܥܘܕܪܢܐ ܫܐܠܐ ܨܒܝܢܐ ܥܕܪܐ ܘ — ܫܕܪ
Read: ʿudrānā sheʾlā ṣebyānā ʿeḏrā w- ___ shdārā
LINE 7
EVA: yshey shody okchoy otchol chocthy oschy dain chor kos
Voiced: yšey šūdy ʿkḥūy ʿṭḥūl ḥūθy ʿsḥy dāʾīm ḥūr kūs
Arabic: يشير — — عطول? — — دائم حور —
Syriac: — ܫܘܕܝܐ ܥܘܩܒܐ? — ܚܘܬܐ? ܥܫܝܢ? — — ܟܣܐ
Read: yushīr shōdāyā ʿuqbā? ʿuṭūl? ḥōthā? ʿeshyānā? dāʾim ḥawr kāsā
LINE 8
EVA: daiin shos cfhol shody dain os teody
Voiced: dāʾīmān šūs ḍūl šūdy dāʾīm ʿs ṭeūdy
Arabic: دائماً شروط? ظلّ? — دائم — —
Syriac: — — — ܫܘܕܝܐ — ܐܬ? ܬܘܕܝܬܐ
Read: dāʾimān shurūṭ? ḍill? shōdāyā dāʾim ōthā? tōdīthā
LINE 9
EVA: ydain cphesaiin ol cphey ytain shoshy cphodales es
Voiced: ydāʾīm ṣesāʾīn ʿl ṣey yṭāʾīn šūšy ṣūdāles es
Arabic: يدوم صفات? على صفاء? — — صيدلة —
Syriac: — — — — — ܫܘܫܦܐ? — ܐܝܬ?
Read: yadūm ṣifāt? ʿalā ṣafā? ___ shōshēp̄ā? ṣaydala ʾīth?
LINE 10
EVA: oksho kshoy otairin oteol okan shodain sckhey daiin
Voiced: ʿkšū kšūy ʿṭāʾīrīn ʿṭeūl ʿkān šūdāʾīn sǧey dāʾīmān
Read: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ dāʾimān
LINE 11
EVA: shoy ckhey kodaiin cphy cphodaiils cthey she oldain d
Voiced: šūy ǧey kūdāʾīmān ṣy ṣūdāʾīīls θey šē ʿldāʾīn d
Read: ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ shē ___ d-
LINE 12
EVA: dain oiin chol odaiin chodain chdy okain dan cthy kod
Voiced: dāʾīm ʿūyīn ḥūl ʿūdāʾīmān ḥūdāʾīn ḥdy ʿkāʾīn dān θy kūd
Read: dāʾim ʿuyūn ḥawl ___ ___ ___ ___ dēn ___ ___
LINE 13
EVA: daiin shckhey ckeor chor shey chol chol kor chal
Voiced: dāʾīmān šǧey keūr ḥūr šey ḥūl ḥūl kūr ḥāl
Read: dāʾimān ___ ___ ḥawr ___ ḥawl ḥawl kūra khall
LINE 14
EVA: sho chol shodan kshy kchy dor chodaiin sho keeap
Voiced: šū ḥūl šūdān kšy kḥy dūr ḥūdāʾīmān šū keeāb
Read: ___ ḥawl ___ ___ ___ dawr ___ ___ ___
LINE 15
EVA: ycho tchey chokain pshol dydyd cthy daicthy
Voiced: yḥū ṭḥey ḥūkāʾīn bšūl dydyd θy dāyθy
Arabic: — تحيّة — — — — —
Syriac: ܘܗܘ — ܚܘܟܡܐ ܒܫܐܠܐ ܕܝܕܝ ܕ ܬܝ? ܕܐܝܬܝ
Read: wa-hū taḥīyya ḥūkkāmā b-sheʾlā dīdī-d thī? d-āythī
LINE 16 ★ KEY LINE
EVA: yto shol she kodshey cphealy dar dasain dain ckhyds
Voiced: yṭū šūl šē kūdšey ṣeāly dār dāsāʾīn dāʾīm ǧyds
Syriac: ܝܬ ܫܐܠܐ ܫܐ ܩܘܕܫܐ ܨܠܘܬܐ — ܕܐܣ̈ܝܐ — —
Arabic: — — — — — دار — دائم جيّدين?
Read: yāt sheʾlā shē qudshā ṣlōtā dār d-āsāyē dāʾim jayyidīn?
LINE 17 ★ KEY LINE
EVA: dchar shcthaiin okaiir chey rchy potol cthols dlocta
Voiced: dḥār šθāʾīn ʿkāʾīr ḥey rḥy bṭūl θūls dlūktā
Arabic: ذخيرة ___ — — — — — —
Syriac: — — ܥܩܪܐ ܚܝܠܐ ܪ̈ܚܡܐ ܒܬܘܠܬܐ ܬܠܝܬܝܘܬܐ ܕܘܟܬܐ
Read: dhakhīra ___ ʿaqqārā ḥaylā raḥmē btūltā tlītāyūtā duktā
LINE 18
EVA: shok chor chey dain ckhey otol daiiin
Voiced: šūk ḥūr ḥey dāʾīm ǧey ʿṭūl dāʾīmīn
Arabic: شكر حور — دائم — عطا? دائمين
Syriac: — — ܚܝܠܐ — ܓܠܐ? — —
Read: shukr ḥawr ḥaylā dāʾim gālē? ʿaṭā? dāʾimīn
LINE 19
EVA: cpho shaiin shokcheey chol tshodeesy shey pydeey chy ro dar
Voiced: ṣū šāʾīn šūkḥeey ḥūl ṭšūdeesy šey bydeey ḥy rū dār
Read: ___ ___ ___ ḥawl tashkhīṣī? ___ ___ ___ ___ dār
LINE 20
EVA: doin chol dain cthal dar shear kaiin dar shey cthar
Voiced: dūn ḥūl dāʾīm θāl dār šeʿar kāʾīn dār šey θār
Read: dēn ḥawl dāʾim thālith? dār shaʿāʾir? kāʾīn dār ___ tharwa
LINE 21
EVA: choo kaiin shoaiin okol daiin far cthol daiin ctholdar
Voiced: ḥūū kāʾīn šūʿāʾīn ʿkūl dāʾīmān fār θūl dāʾīmān θūldār
Read: ___ kāʾīn shuʿāʿīn? ʿuqūl dāʾimān farr/farḍ? thaqīl dāʾimān thaqīl-dār?
LINE 22
EVA: ycheey okay oky daiin okchey kokaiin chol kchy dal
Voiced: yḥeey ʿkāy ʿky dāʾīmān ʿkḥey kūkāʾīn ḥūl kḥy dāl
Read: yuḥyī? ʿaqqār? ___ dāʾimān ___ ___ ḥawl ___ dāll
LINE 23
EVA: deeo shody koshey cthy okchey keey keey dal chtor
Voiced: deeū šūdy kūšey θy ʿkḥey keey keey dāl ḥṭūr
Syriac: — ܫܘܕܝܐ ܟܘܫܝܐ? — — — — — —
Arabic: — — — — — — — دالّ خطور?
Read: ___ shōdāyā kūshāyā? ___ ___ hot°2 hot°2 dāll khuṭūr?
LINE 24
EVA: chol chok choty chotey dchaiin
Voiced: ḥūl ḥūk ḥūṭy ḥūṭey dḥāʾīn
Arabic: حول حكّ خطا خطط —
Syriac: — — — — ܕܟܐܐܝܢ
Read: ḥawl ḥakk khuṭā khuṭāṭ d-kāʾīn
Unknowns (___) are the primary targets for review. All feedback welcome.
RE: Help with Arabic/Syriac Reading of F1R - rikforto - 05-04-2026
Probably not what you're looking for, but this kind of substitution is doomed to fail: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
RE: Help with Arabic/Syriac Reading of F1R - 008348dc760f858fd668476b75fb6f - 05-04-2026
(05-04-2026, 10:16 AM)rikforto Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Probably not what you're looking for, but this kind of substitution is doomed to fail: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Yep, that's accounted for. The remainder of the text doesn't function as a "text" it's separate from f1r. If any folio were to contain a readable text then it would be f1r, it behaves quite differently to the rest of the MS. The remainder of the text is (under this theory) a compression of reference tokens encoding plant components and their Galenic qualities, the methods for preparation, the agents of preparation, the produced compounds and their Galenic qualities, the treatments, the ailments they treat... but that's a whole separate thread, for this post I'm focused on You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. as it doesn't encode tokens in the same way.
RE: Help with Arabic/Syriac Reading of F1R - nablator - 05-04-2026
(05-04-2026, 10:35 AM)008348dc760f858fd668476b75fb6f Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.If any folio were to contain a readable text then it would be f1r, it behaves quite differently to the rest of the MS.
Hi,
Why do you think that You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. "behaves quite differently"? It is damaged so some words are a bit difficult to make out but it has enough vocabulary in common with other pages to not really stand out. Many pages have less vocabulary in common with any other page (in % of the total) than f1r.
RE: Help with Arabic/Syriac Reading of F1R - 008348dc760f858fd668476b75fb6f - 05-04-2026
The high number of single occurrence tokens, zero prescription prefixes (qo), zero pharma prefixes (l), high use of bracket consonants (c-h bound glyphs), high use of d prefix tokens, high use of sh prefix tokens.
Aside from that the structure, it prefaces the botanical section but doesn't have a plant image, in terms of layout it doesn't look like any of the other section. It's not the only "strange" folio but it is the one I'm focusing on here.
RE: Help with Arabic/Syriac Reading of F1R - Stefan Wirtz_2 - 05-04-2026
(05-04-2026, 10:16 AM)rikforto Wrote: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.Probably not what you're looking for, but this kind of substitution is doomed to fail: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
Did you ever even watch that video, and compared it‘s claims with VMS?
It is simply misleading.