VMs: shorthands

[William Edmondson <w.h.edmondson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi folks

I'm new to the list, but have had a passing interest in Voynich for a 
year or so.

Recently I was doing some work in the British Library looking at some 
17th C manuscripts on speech and language, and came across Lodwick's 
attempts to devise a script for a universal language (a popular concern 
at the time as I'm sure you all know).

If any of you have access via your institute's library have a look at 
the EEBO electronic resource (Early English Books Online) and you'll 
find some facsimile material there.

I followed the trail/train of thought having noticed vague visual 
similarities with V.  

I am intrigued by the shorthand possibilities, as opposed to 
cryptography per se - it seems more parsimonious to think of shorthand 
as a simple scheme of writing for relative secrecy.  I plan to spend a 
couple more days in BL later in Feb.

So - some questions:

What shorthands have already been considered, and as shorthand 
representations of what languages?

Has the anyone seriously considered/dismissed 'universal language' type 
of explanations?

Any hints as to what I might usefully look at.

Thanks

William

--
Dr William H Edmondson
School of Computer Science
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston B15 2TT
United Kingdom

Voice  -  +44-121-414-4763
email  -  w.h.edmondson@xxxxxxxxxx


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