Sequential word repetitions in the VMS

[-Job-]

I wonder whether it is possible to create a dictionary, by which each Voynich word can be matched to one plain text word in some language in such a way that the result is a meaningful text in that language. I.e.: can the Voynich MS be translated word for word?
This is really independent of whether the system behind the MS text includes encryption or not. Suppose the text was encrypted using many nulls, then several different Voynich words map to the same plain text word.

My tendency is to think that the answer is no. (but of course I don't know).

It's not out of the question. Unfortunately, it's difficult to settle this definitively, even for a single folio.

On the other hand, given a number of sample texts, it should be possible to determine the size of the largest sentence in a VM folio which can be matched to a sentence in one of the sample texts.

The result should reflect the probability that the VM is readable via a decoding process involving word-substitution, such as a codebook or synthetic language.

For example, an analysis of f27v (58 words) using five sample texts shows that the longest match is a 35 word sequence in Dante:

dshy, kchy, cheo, da, dy, dchy, kchey, kchy, dchokchy, dsho, dchir, chodchy, etcheody, shld, okcho, chy, kcheed, chl, chol, kod, o, oksho, doeeeesm, qoky, shkeeo, schodar, shkol, chotchy, cthodol, dsho, kchrrr, okeedy, dchschy, sotchdy, sho

stregghia, a, ragazzo, aspettato, dal, segnorso, ne, a, colui, che, mal, volontier, vegghia, come, ciascun, menava, spesso, il, morso, de, lunghie, sopra, se, per, la, gran, rabbia, del, pizzicor, che, non, ha, pie, soccorso, e

The samples contained sections from Dante (Italian), Pliny (Latin), Bible (Latin), Bible (Hebrew), Moby Dick (English). Punctuation and line breaks were ignored.

It's interesting that, for all 5 sample texts, the longest match is the sequence of 33 words starting with "cheo da dy" above - Dante just matched the initial "dshy kchy" as well. It suggests that f27v, as transcribed, is not really compatible with the sample texts.

For folio You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view. (57 words) the longest match consists of 21 words, and the matches differ more substantially between each sample. I have not looked at other folios.

If the sample size had been much larger, then we might be able to say something about the VM's compatibility with the sample languages, and not just the sample texts - though i'm not certain that is true.