The incompatibility of Voynichese with natural human language

[davidjackson]

It's clearly incompatible with natural human language.

But that doesn't mean it isn't a natural human language in some way.

Let me simplify.

What I mean, is that if you try to compare Voynichese to any natural human language (which means Latin, Greek, old French, medieval High German, Hebrew, whatever) it just doesn't fit. And the rhythm of Voynichese isn't like any natural human language. I don't think there are any sensible theories out there still arguing that it is a "natural human language".

But that doesn't mean it's nonsense. We can postulate dozens of "solutions" where it is legible.

It's a cipher, or a code. It's an artificial language. It's a potpourri of natural language with an individualistic shorthand (which I think is probably the solution a lot of the more serious minded currently have at the back of their minds at the moment). It's a natural language with shorthand. It's Latin written backwards and put through a mirror with some codes. It's really Elvish, but we've killed all the Elves. etc.

Or, of course, it could be nonsense.

The trouble is - we cannot currently prove or disprove any of these "solutions". Why? They are too generic. Each option has loads of "sub solutions": they are a matrix of solutions and every single sub solution has to be examined on its own merits.

When you plump for a specific solution, then that method can be analysed and proven or discarded. But then the theory author can make a small modification, and bring it back, and we have to start again. It's like a big game of whack-a-mole

I suppose one day we'll find we've gone through every single possible solution, and then we can sit back and feel slightly content we never actually "solved" it. (Or we actually "solve" it, and have to find a new hobby!)