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Can statistical measures tell whether an unknown symbol system is writing?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·Part of Are the Indus signs a writing system for a spoken language?·3 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: such measures do not discriminate reliably, so the Indus question cannot be settled from the corpus…Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Three answers have been proposed. Such measures do not discriminate reliably, so the Indus question cannot be settled from the corpus… leads, with evidence 1 for, 1 against: partly supported by its tests. Two are still possible.

Why it matters

The 2009 to 2014 dispute turned on this. If entropy and n-gram measures can discriminate, the Indus question is answerable from the corpus; if not, only new finds can answer it⁠[1]⁠[2]⁠[3].

Answers 3

Evidence: 1 for, 1 against
Most likely
Evidence: 1 for, 1 against
Disputed
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible

History

  1. Rao et al. puts forward: conditional and block entropy of sign sequences separate writing from non-linguistic systems, and place the…
  2. Rao et al.: the Indus corpus's conditional entropy sits with linguistic systems and away from the artificial extremes.For: Conditional and block entropy of sign sequences separate writing from non-linguistic systems, and place the…
  3. Sproat: the artificial extremes were invented controls, and real non-linguistic systems can show similar values.Against: Conditional and block entropy of sign sequences separate writing from non-linguistic systems, and place the…
  4. Rao et al.: rao et al. argue that the measures were meant to be combined with other evidence, not used alone.Against: Such measures do not discriminate reliably, so the Indus question cannot be settled from the corpus…
  5. Sproat puts forward: such measures do not discriminate reliably, so the Indus question cannot be settled from the corpus…
  6. Sproat: sproat's 2014 comparison across real corpora found the measures do not settle the question.For: Such measures do not discriminate reliably, so the Indus question cannot be settled from the corpus…
  7. Asked on this site
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