Words che(e)f(ch)a(/o)l-
Today, I am examining words beginning with che(e)f(ch)a(/o)l- to see if they might be related:
- cheef,alaiin (1) B,
- chefalchhs (1) B,
- chefal.daiin (1) B,
- chefchol.or (1) B,
- chefol,y (1) A.
All five words are unique within the text; only one belongs to language A.
Ten years ago, I read the words por,aiin.chefol,y (ZL) / por.aiin.chefoly (T), on page 102r2.1, as You are not allowed to view links.
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Login to view., which made me think of porrum cĭbulla – leek chive.
As time goes by, my reading has changed; currently I read the same words as poraun kifol9.
The word kifol9 may be κεφαλη or a related word, such as κεφαλας, κεφαλις or κεφαλος:
- κεφᾰλή – head; periphr. for the whole person; life; of things, extremity; (Medieval) a provincial governor;
- κεφᾰλᾱ́ς, gen sg dor /acc pl of κεφᾰλή;
- κεφαλᾶς (Byz) – head, leader, commander; (Gr) – who has a big head;
- Κεφαλάς, proper noun, e.g. Constantine Kephalas, a Byzantine scholar known as the compiler of the Greek Anthology;
- κεφᾰλίς, Dim. of κεφαλή, little head (about things only);
- κέφᾰλος – a kind of fish, Cephalus mullet;
- Κέφαλος, proper noun, e.g. Cephalus, a character from Greek mythology.
![[Image: chefalchhs-34r-10.jpg]](https://readingvoynich.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/chefalchhs-34r-10.jpg)
The word chefalchhs (ZL)/ chefalas (T), on page 34r.10, can be kefalas – κεφαλας.
![[Image: chefchol-or-31v-6.jpg]](https://readingvoynich.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/chefchol-or-31v-6.jpg)
If we read the words chefchol.or on 31v.6 together, they can give the word kifholor for κέφᾰλος.
![[Image: cheefalaiin-31v-6.jpg]](https://readingvoynich.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/cheefalaiin-31v-6.jpg)
The word cheef,alaiin, which follows the words chefchol.or on f31v.6,could well be κεφαλών, if it were written with a single e:
- fan-palm, Chamaerops humilis;
- = κεφαλωτόν – with a head, headed; of plants with a head;
- gen pl of κέφαλος;
- gen pl of κεφαλή.
However, with the two e, we should perhaps consider the word κυφάλων, gen of κύφαλα =κύμβαλα – the cymbals.
![[Image: chefal-daiin-dg-40r-8.jpg]](https://readingvoynich.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/chefal-daiin-dg-40r-8.jpg)
I found nothing conclusive for the words chefal.daiin, and as these words are followed by dg, it might be better to read chefal separately and in that case, it will be part of another group of words to be analyzed later.