Re: an ain aiin as numbers...?

[Nick Pelling <incoming@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Bruce,

> The idea that the VM might contain Roman numerals suggests some approaches for
> trying to find them based on these properties:
>
> - there is a limited set of symbols (I, V, X, L, C, D. M)
> - the VM symbols that represent them should occur together frequently, not
> separated by other symbols
> - some would be repeated but others not ( ..XXX.. is legal but not ..VVV.. )
> - some combinations are permitted in one order but not the other
>     (  ..CV.. is legal but not ..VC.. )

All true! Constraints are good - they set us free from the paralysis of 
choice. :-)

Though given that we're still unsure about the underlying alphabet as well 
as word boundaries, we have to be fairly careful about how we proceed. :-/

Quick observation: "8" visually hides an "X" within its shape, so "dain" 
could well be "12".

Interestingly: there are about 24 "dd" (which would be "XX") within the 
text (depending on which particular transcription you use), several more 
than I expected. These are:-
        dd
        ddl
        ddy     (twice)
        ddor    (twice)
        ddol
        ddal
        ckhddl
        koddy
        shddy
        chddy
        choddy
        choddal
        cthodd
        tchddy
        qokylddy
        ddsschx (looks a bit of a misfit)
        okeeddl
        upcheddy
        opcheddl
        qoteeddy
        qopcheddy

Also interestingly, there is only one occurrence of "yy" in the same 
transcription, and that occurs right at the end of a page, so is quite 
possibly just noise:
        <f86v4.T.5;A>      dar.olee*y.ol,yy=

I'm guessing that "d" might code for "X", and possibly "y" for "V"/"U"... 
though the rest I'm far more shaky on. "dy" might then be "XV" (ie, 15), 
which - if the underlying astrology is based (as we suspect) on 30-degree 
divisions of signs - could well be a relevant number.

Also: "y" tends to be written either like a "9" (with a closed loop) or 
like a weak Greek eta character (with an open loop). Many of these - when 
examined closely - appear to be an upside-down "u" or "v" with a tail added 
as an additional light stroke. Perhaps this is another example of a VMS 
letter hiding its true shape within itself?

On the other hand, neither "yan" nor "yain" appears in the VMS: but "yaiin" 
appears 9 times:-
        yaiin   (six times)
        dyaiin
        opyaiin
        cfhyaiin

Finally: "dan" occurs 26 times, "dain" 160 times, and "daiin" 1412 times 
(all counted using a text-search, not a word-search): though the chances of 
a free-standing "daiin" (the magical number 13?) being a special code are 
fairly high. :-)

Intriguingly, "ydain" occurs 6 times and "ydaiin" occurs 27 times: so there 
may be some numeric obfuscation going on here. :-/

Cheers, .....Nick Pelling.....