Syllabification

[-JKP-]

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As for the derivation of some of the VMS symbols from Latin abbreviations - this is likely, but it is by no means "established".  There is a good deal of researchers who would prefer to refrain from this derivation. Actually, if we consider EVA y, this is a shape of the Arabic digit "nine". I don't know if the Latin abbreviation symbol was derived from the digit or it is a standalone invention, but it is certainly not "established" whether the VMS script inherits the abbreviation or the digit. In my opinion, this is the former case, where the y shape is actually comprised of the c with the tail modifier (as suggested by Currier and recently revived by Cham), so as to mask the real glyph composition behind the "well-known" abbreviation symbol. But this is nothing more than a working hypothesis and it is simply not scientifically correct to dub it "established". In science, "established" means proven, consistently reproducible and independently verifiable. In fact, there are too few really established things about the Voynich Manuscript.

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There are very few things about the VMS that I am sure of (most things I am unsure about, actually) but I AM sure that whoever devised the script was familiar with Latin abbreviations.


It's not only that they have the same shapes, they are also used in the same positions and in the same way.

• The Latin "9" usually occurs at the end, sometimes occurs at the beginning, and rarely occurs mid-word. The VMS places it in exactly the same way.
  
• The Latin -ris- -tis -cis abbreviation is written exactly the same in the VMS and they are almost always at the end of words, as they are in Latin.
  
• The Latin leaning r (which sometimes resembles the VMS way of writing it and sometimes resembles a 2) is usually standalone or sometimes at the end. The VMS uses it the same way.
  
• The swooped tail to replace the line over letters if they are at the end is a very common Latin convention and is written in the same way in Voynichese.
  
• The Latin c or e with a tail is most often stand-alone but sometimes at the end, and the VMS usually places it this way.
  
• The Latin c-t ligature (which can also be c-c or t-c or e-c or e-r, etc.) can be in a number of positions and is often midword. The VMS places the bench char somewhat the same way.
  

Taking just the first two, the Latin 9 and the -ris/-tis/-cis abbreviation, is enough to make it significant if you consider the positional similarities in combination with the shapes. Add the others and it's too many to be accidental.


What they mean is a different subject, but their shapes and positions are derived from Latin.