Voynich through Phonetic Irish

[Doireannjane]

[quote="LisaFaginDavis" pid='73644' dateline='1763226028']
Doireann, this last post is a great example of what others (and myself) have found problematic about your methods. You wrote "I've used whitish in other sentences and this sentence itself does not position an adjective there where it is, so I break up the word." You are making a choice about how to interpret the word based on what you think it should mean. That is by definition "cherry-picking". it is not reproduceable by anyone other than yourself, making it impossible for anyone else to repeat your work and come to the same conclusions. No one else would look at that sentence and decide to "break up the word." Instead of posting examples of sentences you've interpreted, you need to go back to first principles and explain, simply and concisely, your association of sounds to symbols and your justification for those associations, in ways other than trial and error or selective confirmation bias. 

Like anyone else, you need to ensure that your work is consistent with what we already already know - linguistically, historically, and codicologically - about the manuscript. For example, how do you explain the differences between Language A and Language B, especially the -dy suffix you interpret as (I think?) -dhin? It's shockingly common in Language B and shockingly rare in Language A. That's just one example...read up on the differences between A and B and you'll see what I mean. 

Like anyone else, you need to do the reading, and you need to be willing to revise or even let go of your ideas - regardless of how much time and effort you have put in - if it becomes clear to you that you are on the wrong track. We have all run into brick walls in our work, and there is no shame in changing your mind and taking a different direction, as frustrating as it might be. It's how good, responsible scholarship works. You follow the evidence, and if the evidence contradicts your hypothesis, you start again. 

Like anyone else who posts here, you are being pushed to explain yourself more clearly precisely because we all want to see this manuscript interpreted. That's why we're here.

Hi Lisa, I understand what is being asked of me. I'll push back again though about cherry picking. Breaking up the word happens not because I am cherry picking or seeking out to cherry pick. The format of the sentence, the sound of the sentence and my knowledge of how the syntax of the sentences exist within this text, where adjectives fall, THAT tells me to break up the word. When you know that some suffixes are diminutive for example, or some prefixes can be adjectives or positional, you have to break up the word when those come up or if a word is very long. 

In terms of language A and B. Dhin is common in places talking about the filtering of water and plants, tiny. Small things (as suffix only) -dhin. (or just "-in", verb suffix meaning in process of). These of course would not be at all common in the stars. Follows my logic.

On it's own, not as a suffix, dhin is also relational (not applying to stars):

de1, prep. (Pron. forms: díom, díot, de m, di f, dínn, díbh, díobh) (Lenites; becomes d’ before vowel or fh followed by vowel; combines (i) with article an to form den. S.a. AN1, (ii) with poss. adjectives a, ár, to form dá, dár. S.a. DÁ2,3,4, dar3, dár1,2) From, off; of. 1. (a) (Denoting removal, separation, cessation, etc.) Rud a bhaint de dhuine, to take sth. from s.o. Tóg den bhord é, take it off the table. Bhris mé den chrann é, I broke it off the tree. Tá an ceann den teach acu, they have taken the roof off the house. Ghlan sí an smál de, she cleaned the stain from it. Éirí, titim, de rud, to rise, fall, from sth. Scoir siad den obair, they left off work. Stad sé den ól, he stopped drinking. Léim sé (anuas) den charraig, he jumped (down) from the rock. S.a. BAIN DE, CAITH DE, CUIR DE, TÓG DE. (b) (Denoting attachment, continuation) Greamú de rud, to become attached to sth. Leanúint de rud, to keep at, continue, sth. Cheangail sé den chuaille é, he tied it to the pole. Chroch mé de mo ghualainn é, I suspended it from my shoulder. © (Denoting relative position) Laistiar den teach, at the back of the house. Taobh abhus den abhainn, on the near side of the river. Faoi mhíle den chathair, within a mile of the city. 2. (a) (Origin, derivation) Duine den seanreacht, one of the old regime. Bean de Ghearaltach, a Fitzgerald lady. Tháinig siad de dhream uaibhreach, they came of a haughty race. Tá earraí de dhéantús na hÉireann le fáil ann, Irish-manufactured goods may be obtained there. (b) (Material, substance, contents) Íorna