Grammar, Root Lexicon & Section Atlases
How do we test what a Voynich root stem means? We start with short labels written directly onto painted drawings, such as oror beside blood-red Alkanet roots on f102v2 or olkol / okoldy beside painted water pipes and storage jars on f82v and f89r2.
When those same root stems appear inside the multi-line recipe paragraphs, they take on grammatical prefixes and suffixes depending on their role in the sentence: o- introduces a named ingredient, d- / s- marks taking a portion from a source, qo- + -edy marks an active boiling or washing step, and -aiin / -am marks a measured dose or recipe stop.
f102v2): Painted crimson dye-roots and storage jars carry nominal o- labels that inflect into procedural recipe clauses. Click to zoom. 1. Core Root Stem Dictionary
Recurring root stems grounded against manuscript illustrations across the Herbal, Astronomical, Balneological, and Pharmaceutical sections.
| Root Stem | Category | Proposed Reading | Common Inflected Forms | Sections | Visual & Physical Grounding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ke / kee | Thermal Action Verb | Boil / Decoct / Simmer with heat | Balneological (B) & Starred Recipes (S) | Paired with fire/furnace boiling cycles and hot bath conduits (`f75r–f84v`, `f103r–f116r`). | |
ch | Processing Verb / Noun | Infuse / Steep / Strained Herbal Liquid (`chol`) | Universal across all sections (A & B) | Core herbal steeping stem; `chol` is the #1 botanical liquid noun in Herbal A. | |
sh | Hydrotherapy / Washing Verb | Wash / Bathe / Surface-Steep (`shedy` / `shol`) | Peak concentration in Balneological Baths (`f75r–f84v`) | Directly captions nymphs immersed in water pools and shower conduits (`f75r`, `f76r`, `f78r`). | |
kar / kor | Botanical Organ Noun | Heart / Core / Root-Bulb | Herbal, Pharmaceutical Jars, Recipes | Written directly on bulbous roots (`f89r2` `okar`) and Heartsease (`f9v`). | |
tar | Botanical / Elemental Noun | Earth / Ground / Primary Root Base | Herbal, Zodiac Rings, Pharma roots | Labels both Zodiac degrees (`f70v2`, `f72r3`) and basal root crowns (`f89r2`). | |
ra / rar | Botanical Organ Noun | Main Root / Taproot / Rhizome | Pharmaceutical Root Rows & Herbal Monographs | Directly labels cut taproots on `f89r2` (`darary`) and `f99r` (`orary`). | |
oror | Specific Plant Crib | Dyer's Alkanet / Madder (Blood-Red Root) | Pharma `f102v2`, `f100r` & Bilingual Final Page `f116v` | Matches both the crimson root painting on `f102v2` (`f100r`) and `...so nim gas mich oror` + red paint blot on `f116v`. | |
doaro | Astronomical Star Crib | The Pleiades (Seven Sisters Star Cluster) | Astronomical `f68r3` | Written directly below the 7-star cluster in the upper-left quadrant of `f68r3`. | |
al / kal / sal | Botanical / Celestial Noun | Star / Winged Seed / Volatile Essence | Astronomical Stars, Zodiac Rings, Pharma Seeds | Labels individual stars/nymphs on `f67r–f73v` and cut seed/leaf tops (`osal`) on `f89r2`. | |
ol / kol / tol | Vessel / Pipe / Liquid Medium | Apothecary Jar / Water Pipe / Bath Basin | Pharmaceutical Jars & Balneological Pipes | Written directly on painted apothecary jars (`okol` on `f88r`) and bath pipes (`olkol`, `okoldy` on `f82v`). | |
aiin / dain | Quantifier / Measure | One Measured Portion / Dose ('Take one part') | Universal (3,800+ occurrences) | Built from counted vertical minim strokes (`i, ii, iii`) specifying dosage. | |
am / otam / okam | Terminal Closure Marker | Complete / Seal / Final Application (Recipe Stop) | 79%–94% Line-Final or Paragraph-Final across the book | Acts as the physical punctuation period at the end of recipes and paragraphs. |
2. 8-Case Morphological Paradigm Matrix
How the manuscript’s highest-frequency root stems inflect across all 8 grammatical slots across the 227-folio corpus.
Stem ch · Herbal Infusion Stem
Steeped herbal liquid / strained plant decoction
| Grammatical Slot | Affix | Top Form | Hits | Role in Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Citation / Bare | ∅ / -y | 21 (1.2%) | Base ingredient or label noun | |
| 2. Nominal Ingredient | o- / ok- / ot- | 305 (17.8%) | Named ingredient ("the [stem]") | |
| 3. Imperative / Source | d- / s- | 98 (5.7%) | Take / draw from source | |
| 4. Active Step | qo- | 16 (0.9%) | Active procedural step ("then process") | |
| 5. Process Verb | -edy / -dy | 632 (36.9%) | Boiled, washed, or steeped state | |
| 6. Vessel / Bath Locative | l- / ol- | 367 (21.4%) | Inside the bath, pipe, or vessel | |
| 7. Liquid / Oil Medium | -ol / -or | 235 (13.7%) | Dissolved in liquid or oil medium | |
| 8. Dose / Terminal Stop | -aiin / -am | 40 (2.3%) | Measured dose or recipe completion |
Stem ol · Vessel & Bath Medium Stem
Liquid container, bath pool, or pipe conduit
| Grammatical Slot | Affix | Top Form | Hits | Role in Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Citation / Bare | ∅ / -y | 339 (23.7%) | Base ingredient or label noun | |
| 2. Nominal Ingredient | o- / ok- / ot- | 211 (14.7%) | Named ingredient ("the [stem]") | |
| 3. Imperative / Source | d- / s- | 206 (14.4%) | Take / draw from source | |
| 4. Active Step | qo- | 5 (0.3%) | Active procedural step ("then process") | |
| 5. Process Verb | -edy / -dy | 58 (4.1%) | Boiled, washed, or steeped state | |
| 6. Vessel / Bath Locative | l- / ol- | 514 (35.9%) | Inside the bath, pipe, or vessel | |
| 7. Liquid / Oil Medium | -ol / -or | 69 (4.8%) | Dissolved in liquid or oil medium | |
| 8. Dose / Terminal Stop | -aiin / -am | 29 (2%) | Measured dose or recipe completion |
Stem aiin · Measured Dose Stem
Counted minim unit ("one measured portion / dose")
| Grammatical Slot | Affix | Top Form | Hits | Role in Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Citation / Bare | ∅ / -y | 400 (29.4%) | Base ingredient or label noun | |
| 2. Nominal Ingredient | o- / ok- / ot- | 518 (38%) | Named ingredient ("the [stem]") | |
| 3. Imperative / Source | d- / s- | 171 (12.6%) | Take / draw from source | |
| 4. Active Step | qo- | 23 (1.7%) | Active procedural step ("then process") | |
| 5. Process Verb | -edy / -dy | 3 (0.2%) | Boiled, washed, or steeped state | |
| 6. Vessel / Bath Locative | l- / ol- | 77 (5.7%) | Inside the bath, pipe, or vessel | |
| 7. Liquid / Oil Medium | -ol / -or | 166 (12.2%) | Dissolved in liquid or oil medium | |
| 8. Dose / Terminal Stop | -aiin / -am | 4 (0.3%) | Measured dose or recipe completion |
Stem ar · Botanical Root / Earth Stem
Root base, earth source, or stellar sector
| Grammatical Slot | Affix | Top Form | Hits | Role in Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Citation / Bare | ∅ / -y | 339 (35.5%) | Base ingredient or label noun | |
| 2. Nominal Ingredient | o- / ok- / ot- | 390 (40.9%) | Named ingredient ("the [stem]") | |
| 3. Imperative / Source | d- / s- | 56 (5.9%) | Take / draw from source | |
| 4. Active Step | qo- | 9 (0.9%) | Active procedural step ("then process") | |
| 5. Process Verb | -edy / -dy | 8 (0.8%) | Boiled, washed, or steeped state | |
| 6. Vessel / Bath Locative | l- / ol- | 19 (2%) | Inside the bath, pipe, or vessel | |
| 7. Liquid / Oil Medium | -ol / -or | 69 (7.2%) | Dissolved in liquid or oil medium | |
| 8. Dose / Terminal Stop | -aiin / -am | 64 (6.7%) | Measured dose or recipe completion |
Stem iin · Partitive Minim Stem
Counted parts / measured drops or portions
| Grammatical Slot | Affix | Top Form | Hits | Role in Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Citation / Bare | ∅ / -y | 1 (0.1%) | Base ingredient or label noun | |
| 2. Nominal Ingredient | o- / ok- / ot- | 47 (5.3%) | Named ingredient ("the [stem]") | |
| 3. Imperative / Source | d- / s- | 820 (92.6%) | Take / draw from source | |
| 4. Active Step | qo- | 7 (0.8%) | Active procedural step ("then process") | |
| 5. Process Verb | -edy / -dy | 6 (0.7%) | Boiled, washed, or steeped state | |
| 6. Vessel / Bath Locative | l- / ol- | 0 (0%) | Inside the bath, pipe, or vessel | |
| 7. Liquid / Oil Medium | -ol / -or | 5 (0.6%) | Dissolved in liquid or oil medium | |
| 8. Dose / Terminal Stop | -aiin / -am | 0 (0%) | Measured dose or recipe completion |
Stem or · Golden Oil / Dye-Root Stem
Oil extract, golden essence, or red dye-root base
| Grammatical Slot | Affix | Top Form | Hits | Role in Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Citation / Bare | ∅ / -y | 475 (55.2%) | Base ingredient or label noun | |
| 2. Nominal Ingredient | o- / ok- / ot- | 139 (16.2%) | Named ingredient ("the [stem]") | |
| 3. Imperative / Source | d- / s- | 108 (12.6%) | Take / draw from source | |
| 4. Active Step | qo- | 11 (1.3%) | Active procedural step ("then process") | |
| 5. Process Verb | -edy / -dy | 7 (0.8%) | Boiled, washed, or steeped state | |
| 6. Vessel / Bath Locative | l- / ol- | 41 (4.8%) | Inside the bath, pipe, or vessel | |
| 7. Liquid / Oil Medium | -ol / -or | 39 (4.5%) | Dissolved in liquid or oil medium | |
| 8. Dose / Terminal Stop | -aiin / -am | 40 (4.7%) | Measured dose or recipe completion |
Stem eey · Prepared Extract Stem
Cooked / steeped herbal extract
| Grammatical Slot | Affix | Top Form | Hits | Role in Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Citation / Bare | ∅ / -y | 179 (21.7%) | Base ingredient or label noun | |
| 2. Nominal Ingredient | o- / ok- / ot- | 460 (55.8%) | Named ingredient ("the [stem]") | |
| 3. Imperative / Source | d- / s- | 148 (17.9%) | Take / draw from source | |
| 4. Active Step | qo- | 23 (2.8%) | Active procedural step ("then process") | |
| 5. Process Verb | -edy / -dy | 4 (0.5%) | Boiled, washed, or steeped state | |
| 6. Vessel / Bath Locative | l- / ol- | 6 (0.7%) | Inside the bath, pipe, or vessel | |
| 7. Liquid / Oil Medium | -ol / -or | 5 (0.6%) | Dissolved in liquid or oil medium | |
| 8. Dose / Terminal Stop | -aiin / -am | 0 (0%) | Measured dose or recipe completion |
Stem al · Star / Volatile Essence Stem
Star sector, winged seed, or distilled essence
| Grammatical Slot | Affix | Top Form | Hits | Role in Recipes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Citation / Bare | ∅ / -y | 215 (26.7%) | Base ingredient or label noun | |
| 2. Nominal Ingredient | o- / ok- / ot- | 376 (46.7%) | Named ingredient ("the [stem]") | |
| 3. Imperative / Source | d- / s- | 27 (3.4%) | Take / draw from source | |
| 4. Active Step | qo- | 4 (0.5%) | Active procedural step ("then process") | |
| 5. Process Verb | -edy / -dy | 39 (4.8%) | Boiled, washed, or steeped state | |
| 6. Vessel / Bath Locative | l- / ol- | 17 (2.1%) | Inside the bath, pipe, or vessel | |
| 7. Liquid / Oil Medium | -ol / -or | 101 (12.5%) | Dissolved in liquid or oil medium | |
| 8. Dose / Terminal Stop | -aiin / -am | 26 (3.2%) | Measured dose or recipe completion |
3. The 12 Zodiac Wheels (f70v2 to f73v) & Bilingual Month Glosses
Each Zodiac wheel features a 15th-century European month name written in its center (mars = March through decembre = December) and is ringed by ~30 star-holding nymphs whose labels reappear across the Herbal and Recipe sections.
| Folio | Zodiac Medallion | European Month Crib | Element & Season | Ring Words | Nymph Labels | o- Nominal Rate | Sample Star-Nymph Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pisces (Two Fish tied by a cord) | mars (March) | Water (Early Spring) | 93 | 35 | 46.9% | ||
| Aries Part I (Dark-fleeced Ram chewing green shoot) | abril (April, Dark Half) | Fire (Spring) | 59 | 25 | 47.6% | ||
| Aries Part II (Light Ram) | abril (April, Light Half) | Fire (Spring) | 71 | 17 | 59.1% | ||
| Taurus Part I (Dark Bull at manger) | may (May, Dark Half) | Earth (Late Spring) | 78 | 22 | 45.0% | ||
| Taurus Part II (Light Bull on green turf) | may (May, Light Half) | Earth (Late Spring) | 80 | 23 | 42.7% | ||
| Gemini (Twin Courtly Lovers holding hands in tunics) | juny (June) | Air (Early Summer) | 75 | 31 | 52.8% | ||
| Cancer (Twin Crayfish / Lobsters) | jolh (July) | Water (Mid-Summer) | 117 | 40 | 45.2% | ||
| Leo (Walking Lion with tongue extended) | agost (August) | Fire (Late Summer) | 81 | 34 | 56.5% | ||
| Virgo (Maiden in medieval gown holding flower/sheaf) | setembre (September) | Earth (Early Autumn) | 74 | 31 | 47.6% | ||
| Libra (Two-Pan Apothecary / Balance Scale) | octobre (October) | Air (Mid-Autumn) | 70 | 30 | 58.0% | ||
| Scorpio (Lizard-like Scorpion eating star/plant) | novembre (November) | Water (Late Autumn) | 64 | 30 | 40.4% | ||
| Sagittarius (Huntsman in crossbow/archer hat drawing bow) | decembre (December) | Fire (Winter) | 65 | 30 | 40.0% |
4. The 20 Balneological Pages (Quire 13: f75r to f84v)
Compares the painted pipe and bather labels (dominated by o-/ol- vessel nouns like olkol and okoldy) against the surrounding recipe paragraphs (dominated by active qokeedy boiling and shedy washing verbs).
| Folio | Prose Words | Boil Rate (qokeedy) | Wash Rate (shedy) | Vessel Rate (ol-) | Pipe & Nymph Labels | Top Prose Recipe Words |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 411 | 9.5% | 14.8% | 7.5% | Unlabeled pool / pure text | ||
| 317 | 6.0% | 11.0% | 13.6% | |||
| 544 | 6.1% | 16.0% | 5.7% | Unlabeled pool / pure text | ||
| 389 | 8.7% | 14.6% | 4.4% | Unlabeled pool / pure text | ||
| 313 | 8.0% | 12.8% | 4.2% | |||
| 320 | 8.8% | 14.4% | 6.9% | |||
| 278 | 11.5% | 7.5% | 8.6% | |||
| 286 | 8.4% | 12.9% | 15.0% | Unlabeled pool / pure text | ||
| 371 | 1.4% | 17.0% | 12.4% | Unlabeled pool / pure text | ||
| 350 | 8.0% | 8.3% | 11.7% | Unlabeled pool / pure text | ||
| 423 | 2.8% | 14.4% | 11.3% | |||
| 371 | 2.7% | 13.5% | 14.6% | Unlabeled pool / pure text | ||
| 205 | 4.9% | 10.7% | 18.1% | Unlabeled pool / pure text | ||
| 249 | 5.6% | 10.8% | 11.2% | |||
| 271 | 7.4% | 10.7% | 2.9% | |||
| 296 | 5.4% | 13.9% | 7.4% | |||
| 334 | 9.3% | 15.6% | 3.6% | |||
| 254 | 5.5% | 16.1% | 7.5% | |||
| 344 | 9.9% | 14.5% | 10.8% | |||
| 333 | 12.6% | 12.3% | 12.3% | Unlabeled pool / pure text |