Relations among pattern studies?

[Torsten]

I think the problem I have is squaring this with how spaces are distributed. Some glyphs demand spaces---before [q] and after [n]---some glyphs reject spaces---after [ch] or (mostly) before [e]---while others have no strong preference. I suppose this can be put down to the scribe's esthetic sense, but it would need to be shared by all five scribes. As the first two options don't change throughout the text, only the last of the three options is under their control in the way you describe.

In my view, there is at least one pattern related to uncertain spaces. When vords that combine two shorter vords (e.g., chained words like [olchedy], [araiin], and [oraiin]) occur with a space, they typically maintain the same order as the chained vord.

Here are some examples (a - means such a vord or vord sequence does't exist):
oraiin   (38 instances)   or aiin   (46 instances)   aiin or    (only 6 instances)  aiinor    (-)
qoraiin  ( 4 instances)   qor aiin  ( 2 instances)   aiin qor   (-)                 aiinqor   (-)
aral     (16 instances)   ar al     (23 instances)   al ar      (only 7 instances)  alar      (6 instances)
araiin   (10 instances)   ar aiin   (22 instances)   aiin ar    (only 3 instances)  aiinar    (-)
daldy    (17 instances)   dal dy    ( 6 instances)   dy dal     (only 1 instance)   dydal     (-)
olchedy  (10 instances)   ol chedy  (20 instances)   chedy ol   (only 3 instances)  chedyol   (-)
qolchedy (10 instances)   qol chedy (17 instances)   chedy qol  (13 instances)      chedyqol  (-)
qolchey  (11 instances)   qol chey  ( 5 instances)   chey qol   ( 8 instances)      cheyqol   (-)
chodaiin (44 instances)   cho daiin ( 2 instances)   daiin cho  (-)                 daiincho  (-)

I suppose this can be put down to the scribe's esthetic sense, but it would need to be shared by all five scribes.

Indeed, the uniformity of these patterns throughout the text weakens the hypothesis of multiple scribes.