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Concepts

59 concepts

The ideas the research turns on, defined in the site's own words, with every answer and method that uses them.

Linguistics
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Clear
AllABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ#

B 1

BT
Bilingual textThe same text in two scripts or languages, the standard key to an unread one.

C 1

CM
Combinatory methodWorking out what words in an unknown language mean from where they occur, what they occur with and how their endings change across many text

D 1

D
DeciphermentWorking out how an unread script records a language, so that its texts can be read.

L 2

LI
Language isolateA language with no demonstrated relative, so its words and grammar cannot be worked out by comparison with a known family.
LS
Logographic scriptA writing system whose signs stand for words or morphemes.

S 1

S
SyllabaryA writing system whose signs stand for syllables rather than single sounds.

Z 1

ZS
Zipf's lawIn natural text, a word's frequency falls off in proportion to its rank.