## {} # Last edited on 1998-12-12 04:14:45 by stolfi # # SPLITTING LANDINI'S INTERLINEAR INTO TEXT UNITS # J. Stolfi 12 Oct 1997 # # Overview # # To simplify(?) the handling and editing of the interlinear # file, I split each page into what I called "textual units". # # I defined a textual unit as a maximal subset of a page that # is contiguous in "normal" reading order, and has # homogeneous "text type"; which is one of: # # "parags" # # Apparently prose, in multi-line paragraphs. The last line in # each paragraph ends with "=", other lines end with "-". # Paragraph boundaries are guessed from line spacing, # right-margin justification, and presence of

and # gallows. # # "starred-parags" # # Like parags, but with a star-like symbol in front of each # paragraph. # # "itemized-parags" # # Like parags, but with a single Voynich letter or symbol # in front of each paragraph. Here the letters are indicated in # "{}" comments; they are also listed separately as a "letters" unit. # # "circular-lines" # # Text where each line is written around a circle in some # diagram. The lines are terminated by "=", "-", or "." # depending on how well is the starting point marked. # # "radial-lines" # # Text where each line is written along a ray in some diagram. # Each line is terminated by "=". # # "titles" # # Text where each line is a title for a page or figure. # This type includes John Grove's "titles" or "signatures", # non-justified lines found below some paragraphs. # Each title is terminated by "=". # # "itemized-lines" # # The right-hand column of an itemized list ("key-like # sequence"). Here each line of text is an "item" of the list, # and is terminated by "=". # # "labels" # # List of labels attached to parts of figures. # Also the column of words from the table in f66r (page 117). # Here each label is terminated by "=", and multiple # lines of the same label are separated by "-". # # "letters" # # The single-letter labels in itemized lists. Also the column of # single letters in f66r (page 117). Letter sequences written # horizontally are transcribed all on the same line, with "-" # separators. Other sequences are transcribed one letter per # line, with "=" terminators. # # "-" # # This "text type" is used for files or units that contain # no Voynich text, only comments. # # "?" # # This text type is used for units that (presumably) contain # Voynich text of unknown type (e.g. missing pages). # # Unit numbering and file names # # Each unit is stored as a separate file named "fNNN.UU", where # "NNN" is the folio-based page number (folio, side, and division, # e.g. f85r2), and UU is the unit code within the page. # # Descriptive comments that apply to a whole panel are stored in a # separate file named "fNNN" (without location code). General # comments about the VMS were moved to files . # # Note that it was sometimes necessary to split a page with N # distinct text types into *more* than N units, in order to preserve # the "natural" ordering of the text. For example, the transcribed # "pharma" pages have blocks of normal text alternating with rows of # labels; each block of text and each row of labels have therefore # been made into a separate unit. # # Note that any logical page or textual unit that spans multiple panels # gets its page number from its first full-size panel, in "normal" reading # order. So a page that spans panels f101r1 and f101r2 would be numbered # ; whereas one that spans f101v1 and f101v2 would be numbered # . # # Detailed description of files # # A detailed description of the splitting can be found in # the "UNITS" file. Each line of UNITS describes one of the # textual units above; it contains 8 fields separated by ":" # # [1] a 4-digit sequence number, which can be used to sort the # units in their "natural" reading order. # # [2] the file name (fNNN or fNNN.UU). # # [3] the "section", or apparent subject matter: "herbal", "bio", "cosmo", # "pharma", "stars", "?" if unknown, or "-" if the file # contains no text. # # [4] the "language" in Currier's sense ("A", "B", "?" if unknown, "-" if no text). # # [5] the "hand" ("1..5", "X", "Y", "?", or "-") # # [6] the type of text ("parags", "labels", etc.; see list above) # # [7] a sequential page number ("p001".. "p234"), in binding order; # or "-" for files that are place-holders for missing folios. # # [8] other comments # # Any field may be followed by "?" denoting uncertainty. #